Measurement of CO₂ Emissions by the Operation of Freight Transport in Mexican Road Corridors

The freight transport industry in Mexico has grown significantly since the establishment of trade agreements in North America, which has brought significant environmental consequences to the main transport corridors. This paper proposes a methodology for the estimation of emissions for freight vehicles on road transportation corridors. The variables included in this analysis allow adequate characterization of the conditions of the vehicle fleet, the geometry and the quality of the road, the environment, and the average annual daily traffic (AADT) of heavy vehicles. The results were structured to show two indicators, the amount of CO2 emissions per kilometer and the amount of emissions per tonne transported. These results will allow establishing a baseline of CO2 emissions through which we can implement actions in the road transport sector to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) to mitigate climate change and develop parameter values for use in Cost Benefit Analysis. The indicators can also be applied to geospatial modeling of emissions in road transport corridors and forecast its growth.