Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Household Energy Consumption: A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

The quest of urban lifestyle and higher living standards have created race like situation among the nations, which has resulted as unplanned and uncontrolled development due to fast growing urbanization. The present research aims to perform household survey-based estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in CO2 equivalent (CO2e) from urban residential consumption of electricity, transportation (automobile combustion) and use of cooking/heating fuel in Lahore city of Pakistan in 2016. Total 300 households, 100 from Walled City, 100 from Awan Town and 100 from Model Town were surveyed using a semi structured questionnaire. Total 0.78 Gg CO2e per month were estimated, from which fuel consumption of domestic vehicles contribute 0.53 Gg CO2e (69 %), electricity consumption contribute 0.15 Gg CO2e (19 %) and cooking/heating fuel consumption contribute 0.098 Gg CO2e (12 %) per month. Furthermore, the results indicate that the socio economic factors are main influential reason of GHG emissions. Household area is widely recognized as a major influencing factor of urban residential GHG emissions. Larger households tend to be more efficient in terms of per capita energy use. However, per capita residential GHG emissions decrease with increasing household size (number of persons). The domestic vehicles solely contributed approximately 2/3 of the total GHG emissions, which indicate the scarcity of standard and potential urban transportation system in the city of Lahore that shunt its inhabitants towards personal vehicles and make the alarming situation of future scenario of GHG emissions. The survey based estimation approach of GHG emissions from urban consumption categories presents a simple technique and tool to estimate GHG emissions at municipal level. In addition, it can be used to indicate the sector of significant emissions of GHG and for devising better tailored mitigation strategies and polices of the future in the context of sustainable development.