Strategic plan to reduce the polluting elements in Madrid city by means of the transport sector

Abstract

In Europe, emissions of polluting gases have declined markedly during the last decades thanks to the measures adopted by the European Commission and the increasing penetration of renewable energies in the energy mix of each country. In 2014, the statistics proved that the total emissions in the European Union since 1990 have been reduced a 22%, which corresponds to approximately 1.100 millions of tones of CO2 – equivalents, surpassing the target set for 2020 of 20% and close to the 30% set for 2030 in comparison to the levels of 1990. Amongst all the EU countries, Germany leads the table with a total amount of 21.9% followed by the UK, France, Italy, Poland and in next position Spain. Although we are following the correct lines, the level of atmospheric concentration in urban areas, which is where a big percentage of the population lives, are in some cases very high with respect to the adequate. This is the case of Madrid, where we have already seen measures adopted by the town hall such as allowing only certain vehicles to circulate inside the city center to comply with the maximum levels permitted. In this context, one of the measures that is now being adopted and which this report will discuss is the development of electric vehicles (EV) to combat the above problems mentioned. The introduction of these type of vehicles will suppose a big transformation in society since the utilization of the EV will be a great opportunity to improve the entire electric system, reduce the CO2 emissions and many other pollutant elements and to reduce our dependence in outside energy. This report is then conformed as a tool to contribute to the reduction of the atmospheric pollution and will define some strategies of action to guarantee the quality of the air the citizens of Madrid breathe. The actions proposed in this document aim to make the Community of Madrid a sustainable urban environment focusing in the reduction of the pollution. The improvement of the city's air quality implies not only the improvement of the environmental quality but also the quality of life of the habitants and for this reason this report will try to build a strategic plan that will help to reduce the most problematic pollutants such as the NOx. Out of all the scenarios that will be proposed in the document, only the most viable and the one that best fits with the European and Spanish framework will be analysed into dep, carrying out a cost/benefit analysis in based in a model we have built up in order to understand all the impacts it can generate. First, we will explain what is the current regulatory framework in the European and Spanish context related to the air quality, analysing what has been the evolution and which of them are being fulfilled and in which of them the government needs to put a bigger effort to comply with them. Then, we will see what is the current situation the Community of Madrid and we will breakdown the emissions per sector. We will then analyse the main responsible, which in our case will be the transport sector in terms of Greenhouse effects and the main responsible of the high levels of NOx, PM2.5 and PM10 in the city of Madrid. Once we know all the problems the city of Madrid is facing, we will propose few scenarios that could help to solve the high level of polluting elements but we will focus in scenario four, which is in our opinion the most suitable adequate. This scenario introduces the Electric Vehicle (EV) as the solution to combat the pollution and will be the chosen to carry out the cost/benefit analysis mentioned above. We will also present the strategic plan to facilitate the entrance of these type of vehicle to the current park and what are some of the measures the town hall of Madrid could adopt. The idea of the electric vehicle has been working for years to make cities more sustainable, thus achieving a more environmental transport sector that contributes to economic and social development and to the improvement of citizens' well-being. In addition, the electric vehicle plays an important role because it not only achieves a reduction of dependence on fossil fuels, but also manages to optimize the electrical system, flattening the demand curve (if an efficient demand management is done) resulting in economic savings for end users and businesses.