The Integrated Environmental Strategies
(IES) Program in Santiago, Chile
What is the IES Program?
The IES Program helps developing countries
identify policies and technologies that reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and local
air pollutants. By analyzing and implementing
"integrated" policies and measures such as clean
energy (e.g., renewable energy), energy efficiency
(e.g., improved energy efficiency standards for
appliances), and public transportation (e.g.,
converting diesel buses to compressed natural
gas (CNG)), IES communities have an
opportunity to make a positive impact on local
air quality, public health, and the economy,
while at the same time reducing GHGs at the
global level.
"The IES work was really helpful in
recognizing and enhancing our
understanding of the greenhouse
gas/local air pollution link/'
- Dr. Luis Cifuentes, P. Catholic
University of Chile, Santiago
Objectives of the Program in Chile
IES work in Santiago, Chile—the first study of its
kind in the country—was initiated in March
1999. The IBS-Chile team conducted the in-
country analysis at the Pontificia Universidad
Catolica de Chile (P. Catholic University of
Chile). The goals of the effort were to aid
government officials and other stakeholders in
understanding the air pollution reduction
benefits of clean energy technologies that also
reduce GHG emissions, and to enhance in-
country capacity to conduct co-benefits analysis
of integrated measures.
The IES project in Chile was conducted in two
parts. The first analyzed the potential health
benefits for air quality measures in Chile. The
IBS-Chile team considered measures from the
Chilean National Environmental Commission's
(CONAMA) Climate Policy (CP) scenario for
2000 to 2020, a study used to support national
level policy for GHG mitigation in Chile. The
second part focused more specifically on
analysis of mitigation measures under
consideration in the Santiago Decontamination
Plan—the air quality management plan for the
city. Specific measures from the plan, as well as
a range of additional integrated measures that
would improve air quality and reduce GHG
emissions, were analyzed for their impact on
public health.
Figure I: Mitigation Measures in CP Scenario and
Resulting Carbon Emission and PM2s Concentration
Reductions for the Year 2020 Relative to the Year 2000
% Carbon % PM2 5
Mitigation Measure Emission Concentration
Fuel Switching Measures
Residential Wood to Natural Gas
(NG)
Residential Kerosene to NG
Boilers - Diesel to NG
-
21%
24%
95%
86%
61%
Electricity Saving Measures
Incandescent to Compact
Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)
Efficient Reflectors for
Fluorescent lamps (FL)
Sodium Lamps for Public Lighting
80%
44%
48%
80%
44%
48%
Transport Sector Measures
CNG Buses
Hybrid Diesel-Electric Buses
CNG Conversion Kit
Diesel Particulate Traps
Taxi Renovation
6%
29%
13%
-5%
9%
70%
39%
0%
20%
78%
This figure shows the percent reductions in carbon dioxide
equivalent emissions and particulate matter (PM2s) concen-
trations from the application of each mitigation measure
from the CP scenario in 2020 relative to the 2000 base year.
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Solutions Offered
After completing the analysis, the IBS-Chile
team found that several of the co-benefits
measures analyzed were particularly worthwhile
and cost-effective. Transportation policies
emerged as the most promising because the
transport sector contributes the largest portion
of, and is the fastest growing sector for, GHG
emissions and local air pollutants in Santiago.
For the transport sector, the IES team looked at
switching to cleaner means of transportation
(e.g., dedicated bus lanes) and improvements in
fuel efficiency (e.g., renovating the taxi cab fleet,
introducing hybrid diesel-electric buses). Other
measures analyzed included the use of new
technologies like compact fluorescent lamps
(CFL), more energy-efficient appliances for the
residential and commercial sectors, more
efficient electric motors for industry, and the
increased use of co-generation power for the
industrial sector.
Program Outcomes
IES work in Chile produced many positive
outcomes. At least four articles on the co-benefits
approach have been published by members of the
lES-Chile team in journals such as Atmospheric
Environment, Environmental Health Perspectives,
and Science. These articles generated media
coverage in the local, regional, and international
press, including coverage on CNN en Espanol and
BBC. The team also developed health effects
benefits modeling software called Air Pollution
Health Effects Benefits Analysis (APHEBA),
which IES teams in other countries have modified
and used for their respective countries' analyses.
For its work, the regional environmental agency
(CONAMA) recognized the technical capacity of
the team and awarded P. Catholic University a
five-year grant to establish a "Center of
Excellence" to continue analyzing air quality.
Team members, including Dr. Luis Cifuentes,
have helped IES teams in China, India, and the
Philippines start their health impacts
assessments, increasing South-South exchange of
expertise. Dr. Cifuentes also speaks at numerous
air quality/GHG conferences and served as a
lead author of the co-benefits section of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's
(IPCC) Third Assessment Report.
Figure 2: Total Health Effects Avoided in CP Scenario
Compared to the Business as Usual (BAD) Scenario During
the Period 2000 to 2020
Premature Death
Chronic Bronchitis
Hospital Admissions
Child MedicalVisits
Emergency RoomVisits
Asthma Attacks & Bronchitis I
Restricted Activity Days
2,635,589
100 10,000 1,000,000
Avoided Health Effects
100,000,000
This chart illustrates the estimated number of health effects
avoided between 2000 and 2020 by adopting all of the policies
in the CP scenario (see Figure I for the complete list of mitiga-
tion measures).
In related work by another Chilean government
agency, the Executive Secretariat Commission
for Planning of Transportation Infrastructure
Investments (SECTRA) generated a proposal for
a $7.4 million (USD) grant to the Global
Environment Facility (GEF). This grant, which
GEF approved, supports the reduction of GHG
emissions from vehicles in Santiago by
promoting a long-term modal shift to more
efficient, less polluting forms of transportation.
The specific measures included reducing private
car use and promoting public transportation;
encouraging replacement of old buses with low-
emission buses; increasing the use of bicycles;
and modifying travel patterns through land-use
changes. Projects are expected to be in place by
late 2006.
For More Information
Visit the IES Web site at < www.epa.gov/ies>.
You may also E-mail or call
+1 202 343-9731.
Tntegrated
|^ nvlronmental
trategies
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA 430-F-05-036
November 2005
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