COPERT

COPERT, short for COmputer Program to calculate Emissions from Road Transport, is a software tool designed to estimate air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. It is widely used by national and regional authorities, researchers, and policy analysts to produce emission inventories and to assess the potential impact of transport policies.

The COPERT family originated in European air quality research programs in the 1990s and has evolved through several versions, with COPERT 5 being the current major release. It is maintained and supported by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in collaboration with the ETC/ACM (European Topic Centre on Air Pollution and Climate Change). The software aligns with European and international inventory guidelines and forecasting needs.

How COPERT works: it combines vehicle stock data, activity data (such as vehicle-kilometers traveled), and emission factors that depend on vehicle type, age, technology (including Euro standards), speed, and driving conditions. It estimates emissions for a range of pollutants, including CO, NMVOC (non-methane volatile organic compounds), NOx, PM, and CO2, across different road transport modes and vehicle categories.

Applications and use: COPERT outputs are used to compile national and regional emission inventories for reporting under UNFCCC and the EU's NECD, as well as to support policy evaluation and scenario analysis related to pollutant control, fuel use, and traffic management. Users rely on robust input data and, where possible, local calibration to ensure accuracy.

Limitations: The quality of COPERT results depends on the availability and reliability of input data, such as vehicle stock, activity patterns, and fleet composition. It is one tool among several in the broader process of emissions accounting and policy assessment.