Carbon Neutrality Pathways Effects on Air Pollutant Emissions: The Portuguese Case

Air pollution and climate change are closely interlinked, once both share common emission sources, which mainly arise from fuel combustion industrial processes. Climate mitigation actions bring co-benefits on air quality human health. However, specific solutions can provide negative trade-offs for one side. The Portuguese Carbon Neutrality Roadmap was developed to assess conceivable cost-effective pathways achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Assessing its impacts, pollutant emissions, is the main focus of present work. bottom-up linear optimization energy system integrated MARKAL-EFOM (TIMES) model selected as a modeling tool decarbonization scenarios assessment. estimation performed exogenously TIMES model. Results show that reaching greenhouse gas (GHG) possible, technologically feasible, in Portugal, crucial most vector decarbonizing national economy end-use consumption electrification, renewable based, across all sectors. Decarbonization efforts were found have strong reducing Portugal. Transport power generation sectors with greatest potential reduce GHG providing likewise significant reductions emissions. Despite overall positive effects, there antagonistic such use biomass, industry residential sectors, translates into increases particulate matter This relevant medium term projections, since results that, 2030, PM2.5 unlikely meet reduction commitments set at European level, if no additional control measures considered.