Completing the VM0007 can be daunting, but with the right approach and attention to detail, you can navigate it efficiently. Let's walk through a hypothetical example for a carpooling project.

1. Establishing the Project Baseline

Hypothetical Scenario: The baseline for individual vehicle emissions is 250 g CO2/km. If 100 solo trips of 10 km each were to occur without carpooling, the baseline emissions would be: 100 trips×10 km/trip×250 g CO2/km=250,000 g CO2 or 250 kg CO2

2. Calculating Emission Reductions

Assuming: With carpooling, the 100 trips are reduced to 25 trips. 25 trips×10 km/trip×250 g CO2/km=62,500 g CO2 or 62.5 kg CO2 Emission reductions are: 250 kg CO2−62.5 kg CO2=187.5 kg CO2 saved

3. Applying Passenger Kilometer Savings

Hypothetical Calculation: If each carpool has an average of 4 passengers, the passenger kilometers saved would be: 75 trips not taken×10 km/trip×4 passengers=3,000 passenger km saved

4. Documenting Fuel Savings

Hypothetical Data: Average fuel consumption is 8 L/100 km. Fuel savings: 187.5 kg CO2÷2.31 kg CO2/L (CO2 per liter of gasoline)=81.17 L of gasoline saved

5. Leakage Calculation

Example: Let's say 2% of the reduced trips result in participants using alternative transport with 50% of the original emissions. 0.02×187.5 kg CO2×0.5=1.875 kg CO2 leakage

Net emissions reductions after accounting for leakage: 187.5 kg CO2−1.875 kg CO2=185.625 kg CO2 saved

6. Monitoring and Validation

Numerical Monitoring Example: Conduct surveys every 6 months to validate average passengers per carpool remains at 4 and no significant changes in travel behavior have occurred.

7. Reporting Results

Reporting Figures: Report the total kg of CO2 saved, total passenger km saved, and total liters of fuel saved with each monitoring period.

8. Adjusting for Variance

If Numbers Change: Should the average number of passengers decrease to 3, adjust the calculation for the passenger kilometers accordingly.

9. Scaling the Project

Project Expansion: If you plan to double the number of carpools, forecast your emission reductions to adjust for the increased number of participants. Predicted savings should be reported as potential and not actual savings until validated.

10. Continuous Improvement

Review Metrics Annually: Assess if the average emissions factor per km has decreased due to cleaner vehicles entering the pool, and adjust your calculations if necessary.