Updated urban emission inventory with a high resolution in time and space for the city of Graz

Emission inventories are a tool to monitor the development of the emission situation in urban areas. Therefore, periodic updates of the emission inventory are required. An update of an emission inventory is always combined with new or improved emission factors and models. In order to define the emission trend it is necessary to distinguish between methodological and real changes. This means using the most recent data (models and emission factors) and applying it to the new and old base year. Taking the emission inventory for the city of Graz as an example the effects of methodological changes on emission estimates are shown. Due to the fact that this emission inventory is also used for urban air quality modelling it has a high temporal and spatial resolution. Emphasis was therefore put on an accurate description of the time behaviour of the emission sources. The use of a geographical information system ensures an exact location of the emission source. The new emission inventory serves as a basis for an urban air quality model. The work done so far is part of the ‘DATE-Graz project’ where emission inventory dispersion models and measurement campaigns act together to provide a better understanding of urban air problems in the city of Graz.