Accounting for the Effects of Employment, Equity, and Risk Aversion in Cost–Benefit Analysis: An Application to an Adaptation Project

This paper sets out to explore to what extent integrating employment effects, equity, and risk aversion within cost–benefit analysis (CBA) affect the economic appraisal of a climate change adaptation project designed to protect against flood risk in a region of Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain). Four CBAs are conducted: (i) a standard CBA; (ii) a standard CBA considering equity; (iii) a standard CBA considering equity and employment; and (iv) a standard CBA considering equity, employment and risk aversion. All CBAs are conducted using a time frame of 2014–2080 and considering a 100-year return period under a middle of the road emission scenario (RCP4.5). A sensitivity analysis is also undertaken. Results suggest that the economic efficiency of the adaptation investment is contingent on what types of considerations are included within CBA. Integrating elements of employment, equity and risk aversion can strengthen or weaken the case for action (leading to higher or lower net-present values) and (depending on the discount rate chosen) may even be the deciding factor for determining whether a particular action should be carried out or not (whether the net-present value is positive or negative).

Research on real-driving emissions of heavy tractor under different loads

The actual road diesel emissions of heavy-duty vehicle is very high, which has been a concern around the world. In 2018, Chinese government promulgated the "China VI" regulations containing real-driving emission test requirements and limits, requiring vehicle manufacturers to effectively control vehicle emissions to meet the requirements of China VI. This article takes a heavy-duty tractor equipped with a "China VI" engine as the research object, and performs actual road emission tests after loading 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% respectively. The results show that NOx emissions are higher at low loads and PN emissions are higher at high loads, and CO emissions are not sensitive to load changes.

Evaluation of ecological extremes of vehicles in road emission tests

New testing procedures for determining road emissions of exhaust pollutants for passenger vehicles were established in 2018. New road testing procedures are designed to determine actual exhaust emissions, which may not always reflect laboratory emissions. Test procedures for the emission of pollutants in real traffic conditions are divided into four stages. The latest research on the emission of pollutants from motor vehicles in road traffic conditions, carried out using mobile measuring systems, reflects the actual ecological state of vehicles. The article compares the results of exhaust emissions obtained in road tests using the latest legislative proposals for passenger cars. Then, an attempt was made to determine the engine operating parameters in which exhaust road emission would be the lowest. Solution scenarios were defined as part of permissible changes to dynamic parameters that are included in European legislation on RDE testing. For this purpose, an optimization tool was used, allowing on the basis of given input data to determine the minimum objective function, defined as the smallest emission value of individual harmful compounds. The results of the exhaust gas emissions in the RDE test were used to determine the road emissions of individual harmful compounds. A thorough analysis of the emission intensity of individual compounds has shown that it is possible to approximate such values using functional relationships or adopting them as a constant value. This division was used to determine the extremes (in this case the minima) of the objective function (minimum road emissions of harmful exhaust compo-nents). This task resulted in obtaining (within the permissible tolerances of all driving parameters and durations of individual road test sections) the value of exhaust emissions in the range from 26% to 81% lower than in the actual road test. This means that there is a tolerance range, where you can obtain the value of emissions in road tests. As a result, you can use the process of determining the minimum emissions tests RDE calibration of the drive units already at the stage of preparation so that in the real traffic conditions characterized by the lowest exhaust emissions.