Title: A new conceptual model for CO₂ reduction in hot and dry urban areas: a case study of Mashhad in Iran

Authors: Ali Mostafaeipour; Mojtaba Shakeriravesh; Mohsen Naderpour; Mohammad Saleh Owlia

Addresses: Industrial Engineering Department, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran ' Industrial Engineering Department, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran ' Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia ' Industrial Engineering Department, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract: This research aims to introduce a conceptual model for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in an urban for developing intervention strategies. For this purpose, the system dynamics methodology is used for modelling the causal feedback loops. City of Mashhad in Iran is nominated for this research. The model facilitates policymaking and scenario planning for urban development simultaneously with CO₂ emission reduction. The study shows how different urban subsystems can interactionally increase or decrease CO₂ emissions and also the importance of paying attention to the interactions when policy making for CO₂ reduction, even more than considering each subsystem separately. It presents a novel system dynamics (SD) model for demonstrating long-term interactions of urban subsystems regarding CO₂ emissions which has not been studied in Iran. It also encompasses some new variables which have not been studied in previous similar studies.

Keywords: CO₂ emission; conceptual model; system dynamics; urban areas; global warming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2020.109247

International Journal of Global Warming, 2020 Vol.21 No.4, pp.325 - 355

Received: 31 Jul 2019
Accepted: 05 Feb 2020
Published online: 02 Sep 2020 *

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