A Preliminary Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions FromTransportation in Tainan City Using Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE)

In recent years, with the increasing attention to issues related to carbon emissions, such as carbon tariffs and government netzero carbon emission policies, carbon emissions have become an important indicator that is being prioritized by governments worldwide. The Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) tool has been developed to facilitate the collection and integration of data in this context. This study focuses on Tainan City and utilizes EIE to analyze greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. By using EIE, the study obtains data on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation activities in Tainan City. EIE utilizes data collected by Google and simulation functions to estimate data based on actual measurements of transportation activities. This tool saves time and resources by eliminating the need for on-site investigations while providing data that closely represent the real emissions from transportation activities in urban areas. Transportation vehicles contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in two ways: through direct combustion of fossil fuels and through the consumption of electricity in electric vehicles (EVs). The level of greenhouse gas emissions in a city’s transportation industry depends on factors such as transportation modes, fuel types, fleet age and energy efficiency, total distance traveled, and annual mileage. EIE estimates the greenhouse gas emissions from Tainan City’s transportation industry in 2022 to be 3,320,000 metric tons, including emissions from buses, motorcycles, cars, walking, railways, bicycles, and other modes of transportation.