Decarbonizing the urban comprehensive transport hub: life-cycle pathway planning for carbon neutrality

Decarbonizing transportation hubs is essential for achieving zero-carbon transitions in the transport sector. Currently, the Chinese government is promoting pilot projects for zero-carbon transportation hubs. To support this initiative, a detailed case study is conducted on an urban comprehensive transportation hub (UCTH) in Beijing. This study quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the UCTH across its life cycle based on survey data, then explores emission mitigation measures at different stages, and finally plans the pathway to achieving life-cycle carbon neutrality. The findings indicate that: (1) among the total life cycle emissions, the operation and material production stages account for the largest shares, at 69.91 % and 29.13 %, respectively. (2) Relying solely on emission mitigation during operation cannot achieve life-cycle carbon neutrality, requiring at least two additional years beyond the life cycle. However, integrating measures in construction and operation enables life-cycle carbon neutrality, advancing its achievement by at least 13 years. (3) Photovoltaic installation during operation and improvements in material production processes during construction demonstrate the highest cost-to-emission reduction and time-to-emission reduction efficiencies, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of zero-carbon hubs in China and the decarbonization of other transportation systems.