MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA FOR THE REDUCTION OF AIR POLLUTION DERIVING FROM PRIVATE TRANSPORT: POTENTIAL OF A CAR FLEET RENEWAL

摘要

Transport is one of the four fields (food, housing, mobility, and tourism) of private consumption with the greatest impact on air quality and climate change. One way to reduce transport emissions is the application of green procurement criteria not only in public, but also in the private sector. The study evaluates benefits of applying selected environmental criteria for air pollution reduction for private transport, considering as an option renewal of car fleet. Different Euro emission standards are attributed to the passenger cars depending on the year of production. Four different scenarios of car fleet change for Lithuania and their potential for air pollution mitigation are analysed. Analysis showed that the best results could be reached if 50 of the cars from more than ten-year-old group are replaced with new ones; it would result in the reduction of carbon dioxide by 18, of nitrogen oxides - about 30, of carbon monoxide - 25 and of particulate matter -46. Car fleet renewal can be an option for the reduction of transport-related emissions; however, other factors should be taken into account.