transportation

Zero-emission Transportation Fuels: Alberta’s New Economic Opportunity

Posted on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 06:38 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Jessica Lof, MSc

Three-quarters of the refined petroleum products from Alberta-produced oil ends up as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. In fact, Alberta’s oil provides ten times more transportation fuel to North American markets than that consumed within the province. Clearly, the province of Alberta is in the transportation fuel business.

Canada’s Freight Sector – Addressing Climate Change in the Face of Disruptive Change

Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 - 06:23 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Jessica Lof, MSc

Unless an alternative, low-carbon solution can be found for Canada’s trucking sector, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from diesel fuel combustion will seriously undermine Canada’s efforts to achieve the 2030 and 2050 commitments made in the 2015 Paris climate change accord.

Those commitments include a 30% reduction in GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, and what amounts to an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. Clearly, transformative – even disruptive – changes are required in the fuelling of freight transport in this country and across North America.

Meeting the Freight Transportation GHG Challenge

Posted on Monday, November 6, 2017 - 07:00 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Bastiaan Straatman, PhD, Jessica Lof, MSc

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a formidable challenge for Canada’s freight transportation sector. If we are serious about doing our share to constrain climate change to less than 2^oC by 2050, it is a challenge that we must meet.

The country’s freight systems contribute 69 million tonnes of carbon equivalents spread across rail, road and marine modes, representing nine per cent of Canada’s total GHG emissions. However, these systems are tightly linked to our prosperity and livelihood.