Who produces the most CO2 emissions for trips in the Seoul metropolis area?

This study identifies the largest producers of CO2 emissions in the Seoul metropolis area, focusing on land-based passenger transportation activities as revealed by the 2006 household travel diary survey. Combining modal CO2 intensities and travel distances, the amount of daily individual CO2 emissions is estimated. The cumulative distribution of the CO2 emissions revealed that the top 10% emitters in Seoul, who produce daily about 4.5 kg of CO2, were responsible for 63% of transportation’s emissions. CO2 emissions are found to be strongly associated with emitters’ socioeconomic characteristics, with adult males being the largest emitters producing about 3.9 kg of CO2 daily.

Research highlights► We examine who produce the most transport CO2 emissions in Seoul region of Korea. ► The top 10% emitters are responsible for 63% of the total CO2 emissions. ► The high emitters are estimated to produce about 4kg of daily CO2 emissions. ► The emissions are associated with emitters’ socioeconomic characteristics. ► Occupation, gender and residence location seem to influence the amount of CO2.