High-definition spatial distribution maps of on-road transport exhaust emissions in Chile, 1990–2020

Abstract. This description paper presents a detailed and consistent estimate and analysis of exhaust pollutant emissions generated by Chile's road transport activity for the period 1990–2020. The complete database for the period 1990–2020 is available at doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/z69m8xm843.2. Emissions are provided at high-spatial resolution (0.01° × 0.01°) over continental Chile from 18.5 S to 53.2 S, including local pollutants (CO, VOC, NOx, MP2.5), black carbon (BC) and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4). The methodology considers 70 vehicle types, based on ten vehicle categories, subdivided into two fuel types and seven emission standards. Vehicle activity was calculated based on official databases of vehicle records and vehicle flow counts. Fuel consumption was calculated based on vehicle activity and contrasted with fuel sales, to calibrate the initial dataset. Emission factors come mainly from COPERT 5, adapted to local conditions in the 15 political regions of Chile, based on emission standards and fuel quality. While vehicle fleet has grown fivefold between 1990 and 2020, CO2 emissions had followed this trend at a lower rate and emissions of local pollutants have decreased, due to stricter abatement technologies, better fuel quality and enforcement of emission standards. In other words, there has been decoupling between fleet growth and emissions’ rate of change. Results were contrasted with EDGAR datasets, showing similarities in CO2 estimations and striking differences in PM, BC and CO; in the case of NOx and CH4 there is coincidence only until 2008. In all cases of divergent results, EDGAR estimates higher emissions.