Mapping Montréal’s GHG Emissions

Cities like Montréal play an important role in the fight against climate change. With the help of a multidisciplinary team led by ÉTS professor Annie Levasseur, engineering and social science researchers from Université Laval, Polytechnique Montréal, and Collège de Rosemont are working on mapping the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by the city of Montréal.

Measuring the effectiveness of GHG reduction measures

Thanks to its high spatial and temporal resolution, the map will make it possible to measure the effectiveness of initiatives implemented to reduce GHG emissions in various sectors of Montréal.  

The team hopes that developing this interactive and accessible tool for visualizing urban GHG emissions will encourage people to adopt behaviours that are less harmful to the environment.  

For example, by combining data sources typically used to calculate GHG emissions (i.e., emission factors) with geolocation data or data derived from origin-destination surveys, for example, it would be possible to determine at what time of day or in what season the GHGs emitted by transportation are highest in a given Montréal neighbourhood.

Sparking civic engagement

Mapping GHG emissions would help tailor action plans to reduce GHGs by focusing on what has the biggest impact in a specific context. Such a map would also be a compelling visualization tool to show the general public the impact of their activities and boost civic engagement in the fight against climate change.

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Canada Research Chair in Measuring the Impact of Human Activities on Climate Change