Towards Semantics for Abstractions in Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modeling

Ontology-driven conceptual models are precise and semantically transparent domain descriptions that enable the development of information systems. As symbolic artefacts, such models are usually considered to be self-explanatory. However, the complexity of a system significantly correlates with the complexity of the conceptual model that describes it. Abstractions of both conceptual models and ontology-driven conceptual models are thus considered to be a promising way to improve the understandability and comprehensibility of those models. Although algorithms for providing abstractions of such models already exist, they still lack precisely formulated formal semantics. This paper aims to provide an approach towards the formalization of the abstraction process. We specify in first-order modal logic one of the graph-rewriting rules for ontology-driven conceptual model abstractions, in order to verify the correctness of the corresponding abstraction step. We also assess the entire network of abstractions of ontology-driven conceptual models and discuss existing drawbacks

On the CH4 and N2O emission inventory compiled by EDGAR and improved with the EPRTR data for the INGOS project

This report documents the EDGAR INGOS emission inventory for CH4 and N2O, as publicly made available on: http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ingos/index.php?SECURE=123. The EDGAR INGOS CH4 and N2O emission inventory provides bottom‐up estimates of global anthropogenic CH4 and N2O emissions for the period 2000‐2010. The EDGAR InGOS product is an update of the EDGARv4.2FT2010 inventory, taking into account emissions reported as point sources by facilities under the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (EPRTR) for (1) power plants (N2O), (2) oil refineries (CH4 and N2O), (3) coal mining (CH4), (4) production of oil and gas (CH4), (5) chemicals production (inorganic, nitro‐fertilizers and other bulk chemicals) (N2O), industrial process and product use (N2O), (6) solid waste ‐ landfills (CH4), (7) industrial wastewater treatment (CH4 and N2O). In a first step gridmaps have been improved for the European region taking into account the geospatial data of the E‐PRTR database. In addition, for the last 4 years an option is given to select inventories solely based on officially reported emission data (for the categories covered by E‐PRTR), gapfilled with EDGARv4.2FT2010 for non‐reporting countries.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

An approach with a Business-as-Usual scenario projection to 2020 for the Covenant of Mayors from the Eastern Partnership

The methodology for the Covenant of Mayors – East needed to be extended with a business-as-usual projection of the emissions for 2020, from which national coefficients for the previous years are derived. In this way, signatories will be able to do their emission inventories of the present situation, and estimate which their emissions in 2020 will be. Then they will commit to an emission reduction target based on their projections of emissions for 2020 following the business-as-usual scenario. The factors are country-specific, calculated both for CO2 and CO2eq (CO2, CH4, N2O using the GWP100metric) in order to allow signatories to choose the approach they prefer. Moreover an urban dimension is provided, providing a margin on the projections.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Preliminary exploratory impact assessment of short-lived pollutants over the Danube Basin

This report is presented as deliverable D2.3 of work package 2 of the Danube Air Nexus. It presents the results of an exploratory impact assessment of short-lived air pollutant emissions on human health, crop production and near-term climate with a focus on the Danube basin. We use a global reduced-form source receptor air quality model TM5-FASST and a recent global pollutant emission inventory (HTAP V2, 2014) to make an attribution by sector of the various impacts and to explore the challenges and opportunities for possible. Preliminary results show that trans-boundary pollution is significantly contributing to population exposure to PM2.5 in the Danube area. Dominating polluting sectors are residential sector and agriculture. We estimate that annually 170000 premature mortalities can be attributed to PM2.5 pollution in the Danube area, and annual crop losses add up to an economic value of nearly 1 billion US$. This analysis is a first step in a more detailed, country-wise analysis that will be carried out as a follow-up of this report, with an improved version of the model and specifically designed scenarios for the Danube Basin.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Fossil CO2 and GHG emissions of all world countries

The Paris Agreement plans global stocktakes, to which the UNFCCC GHG emission inventories are the primary input. To complete this picture, the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research provides for all world countries emission timeseries from 1970 until 2016 for CO2 and until 2012 for the other GHGs.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Impact evaluation of biomass used in small combustion activities sector on air emissions: Analyses of emissions from Alpine, Adriatic-Ionian and Danube EU macro-regions by using the EDGAR emissions inventory

The emissions from small stationary combustion activities sector, in particular from the energy needs for residential buildings, have significant shares in total emissions of EU28. Therefore, measures to mitigate the emissions from this less regulated sector related to implementation checking are needed. In this study, we analysed the changes in fuel mix for this sector over 1990-2012 period, the emissions and their distribution over the areas covered by European Union Strategy for Alpine macro-region (EUSALP), European Union Strategy for Adriatic and Ionian macro-region (EUSAIR) and European Union Strategy for Danube macro-region (EUSDR). The emissions gridmaps of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC) and benzo(a)pyren (BaP) are presented for the year 2010; in specific circumstances, these pollutants are known to produce negative effects on health. For this research, we used the data and information of the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) versions v4.3.2 and v4.tox3. Accurate emissions estimates are important to evaluate the impacts of fuel combustion in small stationary combustion activities sector on air quality, human health and crops. Inventories of GHGs, air pollutants and toxic pollutants included in EDGAR are developed by using, as input, fuel consumption from IEA (2014) and emissions factors from scientific literature and official guidebooks such as EMEP/EEA (2013). Working together with emissions inventory experts from selected countries in these macro-regions, the effects of improvements of fuel consumption statistics, biomass in particular, on emissions in the latest years have been quantified by comparing EDGAR data with national data. Besides sectorial emissions estimation, the emissions distribution is also important in the inventory development process. In order to distribute emissions consistently for all countries included in Alpine, Adriatic-Ionian and Danube macro-regions, the EDGAR team upgraded the WEB-based gridding tool with a module for small stationary combustion activities. Emissions estimation and distribution are key elements in preparing a complete input for chemical transport models and further evaluate the impacts of these emissions on air quality, health and crops. This report aims to provide the policy makers and scientists insights on the representativeness and uncertainty of local emissions from the residential sector that play an important role on air quality. These datasets can be used as input for the atmospheric chemical transport models for air pollutants and can illustrate the importance of emission inventory uncertainties and discrepancies.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Trend analysis from 1970 to 2008 and model evaluation of EDGARv4 global gridded anthropogenic mercury emissions

The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) provides a time-series of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived atmospheric pollutants from 1970 to 2008. Mercury is included in EDGARv4.tox1, thereby enriching the spectrum of multi-pollutant sources in the database. With an average annual growth rate of 1.3% since 1970, EDGARv4 estimates that the global mercury emissions reached 1287 tonnes in 2008. Specifically, gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) (Hg[superscript 0]) accounted for 72% of the global total emissions, while gaseous oxidised mercury (GOM) (Hg[superscript 2 +]) and particle bound mercury (PBM) (Hg-P) accounted for only 22% and 6%, respectively. The less reactive form, i.e., Hg[superscript 0], has a long atmospheric residence time and can be transported long distances from the emission sources. The artisanal and small-scale gold production, accounted for approximately half of the global Hg[superscript 0] emissions in 2008 followed by combustion (29%), cement production (12%) and other metal industry (10%). Given the local-scale impacts of mercury, special attention was given to the spatial distribution showing the emission hot-spots on gridded 0.1° × 0.1° resolution maps using detailed proxy data. The comprehensive ex-post analysis of the mitigation of mercury emissions by end-of-pipe abatement measures in the power generation sector and technology changes in the chlor-alkali industry over four decades indicates reductions of 46% and 93%, respectively. Combined, the improved technologies and mitigation measures in these sectors accounted for 401.7 tonnes of avoided mercury emissions in 2008. A comparison shows that EDGARv4 anthropogenic emissions are nearly equivalent to the lower estimates of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s mercury emissions inventory for 2005 for most sectors. An evaluation of the EDGARv4 global mercury emission inventory, including mercury speciation, was performed using the GEOS-Chem global 3-D mercury model. The model can generally reproduce both spatial variations and long-term trends in total gaseous mercury concentrations and wet deposition fluxes.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Atmospheric Chemistry Program Grant 1053648

The impact of a modal shift in transport on emissions to the atmosphere: Methodology development for the best use of the available information and expertise in the Danube Region.

A modal shift in transport can represent a promising option where the economic added value is demonstrated. However, the impact of this action on the environment is important as well. In the framework of the JRC scientific support to the Danube Strategy, the EDGAR modal shift initiative focuses on the emissions evaluation for ex-post modal shift scenarios, as a contribution to the Danube Air Nexus. Given the complexity of this topic, a methodology for the best use of the available information and expertise in the Danube Region has been developed and is presented in this report. This work is the outcome of the joint efforts of the JRC/EDGAR team, country emission experts and relevant institutions in the Danube Region. It shows that, in addition to the EDGAR data and gridding tool, the participation by and contributions of experts from the Danube Region is essential in compiling emissions from the transport sector and enriching knowledge of variations in national circumstances, on inland domestic and international shipping and by bringing details of ship and truck freight transport. Considering the transboundary characteristics of the transport sector, the EDGAR team developed a Web-based emissions gridding tool (EDGAR.ms) to be used by experts, institutions and authorities in the region to distribute emissions from road transport sector in a consistent manner. Emission experts from four countries (Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Croatia) tested the EDGAR.ms tool with their national data and this user friendly application is now available to all country emission experts in the Danube Region (upon request). Regarding navigation, the contribution of Viadonau and Danube Commission is essential to evaluate ship emissions. It is appreciated that, this scientific network, which includes both EU and Non-EU countries, has the capability to explore and evaluate emissions changes from a modal shift in transport and to identify the advantages and drawbacks related to emission patterns changes but to be fully comprehensive, this undertaking requires participation/contribution from specialized institutions in the region and country emission experts from the entire Danube Region.JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Global trends of methane emissions and their impacts on ozone concentrations

CH4 is an important greenhouse gas and also a precursor of the air pollutant O3. About 60% of the current global methane is emitted by sources like agriculture, landfills and wastewater, and the production and pipeline transport of fossil fuels, while ca. 40 % is from natural sources. At world level, CH4 emissions and concentrations are still increasing, raising concerns for air quality and climate change. This study, building on evidence from observations and modelling, suggests that CH4 emission reductions can play a key-role in further reducing O3 in Europe and in the world. Since Europe’s contribution to global CH4 emissions is currently only about 6 %, global cooperation to reduce CH4 in countries and regions in- and outside of the EU, will also be essential to reduce related O3 effects in Europe and the world.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat