2023 Volume 79 Issue 26 Article ID: 23-26001
For realizing a decarbonized society, an urgent need exists for tracking changes in automobile-related CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic and for ascertaining factors underlying these changes. Nevertheless, assessing detailed changes in Japan using conventional data and methods has been difficult. This study used behavioral survey data obtained during the pandemic to estimate automobile-related CO2 emissions by city. We identified factors affecting changes over time. Results have indicated that the factors changed during the pandemic. Although self-curfew at the beginning of the pandemic led to decreased automobile-related CO2 emissions, increased rates of teleworking during the infection’s spread led to increased emissions later in the pandemic. Furthermore, from mid-term to long-term perspectives, increased automobile-related CO2 emissions have been observed in many cities during the pandemic. Environmental burdens increased nationwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic and teleworking effects, which cannot be overlooked in future city planning for decarbonization.
