ToPDAd
11.52
From 2012 to 2015
The EU and the Brussels Capital Region want to improve air quality by setting environmental objectives for various vehicles, with a focus on sustainable propulsion technologies. TML conducted a study to determine these objectives, including evaluating technologies such as electric and CNG drives, and developed proposals for minimum ecoscores and a share of electric vehicles in the fleet.
Applying adaptation measures in the context of a changing climate is a major challenge for the EU. Climate change can be distinguished into slow trends and more extreme phenomena. Slow trends mean changes in global indicators, such as sea water temperature. Extreme phenomena are, for example, heavy rainfall or sudden temperature changes. ToPDAd looked at regional adaptation from the perspective of regional climate scenarios. Important here is the robustness of local infrastructure, for example in critical sectors such as energy and transport, but also in service sectors such as tourism.
ToPDAd developed innovative socio-economic methods and models to enable impact analysis of regional adaptation policies. On this basis, a conclusion can be drawn that is relevant for European decision-making around adaptation in energy, transport, and tourism. We defined two time periods (2010 - 2050 and 2050 - 2100) as the basis for our scenarios. ToPDAd is also responsible for the development of the European Climate Adaptation Platform (DG CLIMATE - ADAPT), a gathering place for knowledge and data on climate change.
In ToPDad, TML used the EDIP model to analyse adaptation strategies in the transport sector. The model was enriched with a dynamic optimisation component to model investments in climate protection (adaptation). This was used on a case of extreme weather damage in the German transport sector. The model gave realistic results for both macroeconomic damage and post-damage recovery costs. However, it was not possible to confirm these fully empirically, as these are low-probability, high-cost events. Reactive strategies for investment (after damage) were found to lead to a higher probability of maladaptation. This was mainly the case for low probability events and for investments that make the system more vulnerable to other weather events. These results were also presented at the ECOMOD conference in Bali in July 2014.
TML and ETH Zurich used a microsimulation model (MatSim) for Zurich to examine the impact of information provision for users and operators during extreme weather events. The cases we looked at were heavy rainfall and tidal waves. Given the flexible nature of the model used, we can extrapolate the results more generally. Our conclusion is that the availability of accurate and well-timed information can reduce the cost of extreme weather events by a third. In addition, we found that informing the entire user group was unnecessary. With information to 50 - 60% of users, most benefits were already realised. Too much information could even be negative, especially during relatively mild weather conditions. The results of this study were included in a paper for the TRB conference in January 2016.
Applying adaptation measures in the context of a changing climate is a major challenge for the EU. Climate change can be distinguished into slow trends and more extreme phenomena. Slow trends mean changes in global indicators, such as sea water temperature. Extreme phenomena are, for example, heavy rainfall or sudden temperature changes. ToPDAd looked at regional adaptation from the perspective of regional climate scenarios. Important here is the robustness of local infrastructure, for example in critical sectors such as energy and transport, but also in service sectors such as tourism.
ToPDAd developed innovative socio-economic methods and models to enable impact analysis of regional adaptation policies. On this basis, a conclusion can be drawn that is relevant for European decision-making around adaptation in energy, transport, and tourism. We defined two time periods (2010 - 2050 and 2050 - 2100) as the basis for our scenarios. ToPDAd is also responsible for the development of the European Climate Adaptation Platform (DG CLIMATE - ADAPT), a gathering place for knowledge and data on climate change.
In ToPDad, TML used the EDIP model to analyse adaptation strategies in the transport sector. The model was enriched with a dynamic optimisation component to model investments in climate protection (adaptation). This was used on a case of extreme weather damage in the German transport sector. The model gave realistic results for both macroeconomic damage and post-damage recovery costs. However, it was not possible to confirm these fully empirically, as these are low-probability, high-cost events. Reactive strategies for investment (after damage) were found to lead to a higher probability of maladaptation. This was mainly the case for low probability events and for investments that make the system more vulnerable to other weather events. These results were also presented at the ECOMOD conference in Bali in July 2014.
TML and ETH Zurich used a microsimulation model (MatSim) for Zurich to examine the impact of information provision for users and operators during extreme weather events. The cases we looked at were heavy rainfall and tidal waves. Given the flexible nature of the model used, we can extrapolate the results more generally. Our conclusion is that the availability of accurate and well-timed information can reduce the cost of extreme weather events by a third. In addition, we found that informing the entire user group was unnecessary. With information to 50 - 60% of users, most benefits were already realised. Too much information could even be negative, especially during relatively mild weather conditions. The results of this study were included in a paper for the TRB conference in January 2016.
