Assessment of the Contribution of Metro Rail Systems in the Reduction of CO2 Emissions in the Transportation System: Application in Rio De Janeiro Metro

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the emission of CO2 in the operation of metro rail passenger transportation systems powered by electricity, confronting it with the emission of other means of transportation which would be used if that system was not available. We propose a methodology to quantify the reduction of CO2 emissions which is provided by the metro rail systems and its application, in a conservative manner, to Rio de Janeiro Metro. The results highlight the importance of the energy matrix used in the generation of electricity, of the fuels used and the quantity of passengers; they also show that in 2011 and 2012 the operation of Rio de Janeiro Metro avoided the emission of 5 times more CO2 than the actual amount emitted, therefore contributing for the reduction of CO2 emissions in the transportation system of the city of Rio de Janeiro.