Emissions - IMAGE

Model Documentation - IMAGE
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Corresponding documentation
AIM-Hub BLUES C3IAM COFFEE-TEA DNE21+ GCAM GEM-E3 GRACE IFs IMACLIM IMAGE MESSAGE-GLOBIOM POLES PROMETHEUS REMIND-MAgPIE TIAM-UCL WITCH
Previous versions
Archive of IMAGE version 3.0
Model information
Model link	https://models.pbl.nl/image
Institution	PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), Netherlands, https://www.pbl.nl/en.
Solution concept	Partial equilibrium (price elastic demand)
Solution method	Simulation
Anticipation	Simulation modelling framework, without foresight. However, a simplified version of the energy/climate part of the model (called FAIR) can be run prior to running the framework to obtain data for climate policy simulations.

Emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants are major contributors to environmental impacts, such as climate change, acidification, eutrophication, urban air pollution and water pollution. These emissions stem from anthropogenic and natural sources. Anthropogenic sources include energy production and consumption, industrial processes, agriculture and land-use change, while natural sources include wetlands, oceans and unmanaged land. Better understanding the drivers of these emissions and the impact of abatement measures is needed in developing policy interventions to reduce long-term environmental impacts.

General approaches

Air pollution emission sources included in IMAGE are listed in <xr id="tab:emission"/>. In approach and spatial detail, gaseous emissions are represented in IMAGE in four ways:

World number (W)

The simplest way to estimate emissions in IMAGE is to use global estimates from the literature. This approach is used for natural sources that cannot be modelled explicitly.

Emission factor (EF)

Past and future developments in anthropogenic emissions are estimated on the basis of projected changes in activity and emissions per unit of activity. The equation for this emission factor approach is:

$Emission=Activity_{r,i}*EF_{r,i}*AF_{r,i}$

where:

• Emission is the emission of the specific gas or aerosol
• Activity is the energy input or agricultural activity
• r is the index for region
• i is the index for further specification (sector, energy carrier)
• EF-base is the emission factor in the baseline
• and AF is the abatement factor (reduction in the baseline emission factor as a result of climate policy).

The emission factors are time-dependent, representing changes in technology and air pollution control and climate mitigation policies. The emission factor is used to calculate energy and industry emissions, and agriculture, waste and land-use related emissions. Following the equation, there is a direct relationship between level of economic activity and emission level. Shifts in economic activity (e.g., use of natural gas instead of coal) may influence total emissions. Finally, emissions can change as a result of changes in emission factors (EF) and climate policy (AF).

Gridded emission factor with spatial distribution (GEF)

GEF is a special case of the EF method, where the activity is grid-specific, resulting in grid-specific emissions. This is done for a number of sources, such as emissions from livestock.

Gridded model (GM)

Land-use related emissions of NH₃, N₂O and NO are calculated with grid-specific models. The models included in IMAGE are simple regression models that generate an emission factor. For comparison with other models, IMAGE also includes the N₂O methodology generally proposed by IPCC IMG_IPCC_2006.

<figtable id="tab:emission">

Atmospheric emissions calculated in IMAGE, by source and by method applied

Source	Activity	CO2	CH4	N2O	SO2	NOx	CO	NMVOC	F-gases	BC	OC	NH3
a). Energy related
End-use energy use (industry, transport, residential, services and other)	Energy consumption rates	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF		EF	EF
Energy sector (production of power, hydrogen, coal, oil, gas, bioenergy)	Energy prodcution rates	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF		EF	EF
Energy transport	Energy transport rates		EF
Other energy conversion	Energy conversion rates	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF		EF	EF
b). Industry related
Emissions from industrial process	Industry value added (IVA)	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF	EF
Cement and Steel	Regional production	EF
c). Agriculture-, waste-, and land-use related
Enteric fermentation, cattle	Feed type and amount		GMa
Animal water, all animal categories	Number of animals		GEF	GEF		GEF						GEFb
Enteric fermentation, cattle	Feed type and amount		GMa
Landfills	Population		GEF
Enteric fermentation, cattle	Feed type and amount		GMa
Deforestation	Carbon burnt	GM	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF		GEF	GEF	GEF
Agriculture waste burning	Carbon burnt	GM	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF		GEF	GEF	GEF
Traditional biomass burning	Carbon burnt	GM	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF		GEF	GEF	GEF
Savannah burning	Carbon burnt	GM	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF	GEF		GEF	GEF	GEF
Domestic sewage treatment	Population, GDP		GEF	GEF
Wetland rice field	Area wetland rice		GEF
Crops	N fertiliser and manure input, croptype			GM		GM						GM
Managed grassland	N fertiliser and manure input			GM		GM						GM
Indirect emissions	N crops, fertiliser and manure input			GM
Land-use change	Clearing forest areas			GM
d). Natural sources
Soils under natural vegetation	Net primary production			GM		GM						GEF
Natural vegetation	N/A						W	W
Wildfires	N/A		W				W
Oceans	N/A		W	W			W					W
Natural wetlands	N/A		W
Termites	N/A		W
Wild animals	N/A		W
Methane hydrates	N/A		W
Volcanoes	N/A		W		W
Lightning	N/A			W		W

</figtable> Activity describes the activity level to which the emission factor is applies, or, if only GM method occurs, the main determinant for the gridded model.

Methods:

• W=Global emission
• EF=Regional emission factor applied to the specified activity level
• GEF=Grid-specific emission calculated from gridded activity level and (regional) emission factor
• GM= Gridded, model-based emission (statistical or process-based model).

Footnotes:

^a GM for dairy and non-dairy cattle, EF for other animal categories.

^b EF for NH₃ emissions from animal houses, manure storage and grazing livestock;GM for NH₃ emissions from manure spreading.