Below is the overview section of the newsletter. To read the newsletter in full, please click on this hyperlink (PDF file) or on the image above.

Overview

Welcome to the first newsletter from the Urban Freight System Emissions program, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF). This biannual newsletter highlights recent project developments for public stakeholders who share our commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of transportation in Canadian communities.

Introduction

Freight transportation plays a vital role in our cities—but it also contributes significantly to climate change and air quality issues. As ports, governments, and fleet operators explore ways to decarbonize this sector, real-world emissions data and decision-support tools are needed to guide the effective adoption of alternative fuels and technologies.
Our program brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in alternative fuels, atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, pollutant dispersion, emissions modeling, policy analysis, data science, and respiratory health. By examining freight emissions from multiple perspectives—and under real-world operating conditions—we aim to generate high-quality data, tools, and case studies that support practical decision-making to improve climate outcomes, air quality, and public health.
The articles in this newsletter (click here to read) are written by researchers at the forefront of our work.
We hope this publication not only brings their latest findings closer to the stakeholders they aim to support, but also creates space for dialogue. Your insights, questions, and experiences are valuable in shaping research that is relevant, responsive, and impactful. We welcome your engagement as we continue to advance solutions for cleaner, healthier urban freight systems

In this Newsletter

As our program reaches the halfway point of its five-year tenure, research teams are mobilized and generating meaningful results across all project streams. With research themes and findings becoming clearer, we are beginning to actively engage and communicate with stakeholders—a core focus of this newsletter and a growing priority for the program moving forward.
One major highlight from the past year is our large, collaborative research campaign examining the emissions impacts of switching from fossil diesel to 100% biodiesel in a working articulated tug and barge (ATB) operated by Seaspan Ferries Corporation (featured on the cover).This campaign began in January 2024 with a nine-month, on-campus training initiative for participating researchers, and culminated in a series of sea trials in November 2024. These trials involved five UBC research teams and the National Research Council of Canada, working together with Seaspan to assess real-world emissions under operating conditions. The result is a unique and comprehensive dataset on the climate, air quality, and health implications of biodiesel combustion in marine applications—delivered through coordinated, multi-disciplinary fieldwork.
Beyond the tugboat campaign, this issue also features research on hyper-local emissions modeling, novel powertrain technologies, policy-relevant air quality assessments, and health-focused toxicology studies. Together, these efforts reflect the breadth of our program’s approach: from high-resolution traffic emissions mapping and hydrogen-diesel engine evaluations to long-term locomotive monitoring and cutting-edge cellular exposure systems.

Upcoming Events & Activities

The coming year will be an exciting one for our program, as several major field campaigns and engagement activities are planned:

• In-use emissions testing continues to be a key focus. Our teams will be conducting on-road testing of a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel truck, as well as long-term emissions monitoring of a 100% biodiesel-powered switcher locomotive—both under real-world operating conditions
• Roadside and mobile air quality monitoring campaigns will be deployed in urban freight corridors and port-adjacent areas. These efforts aim to better understand pollutant hotspots, characterize traffic-related air pollution, and support more effective mitigation strategies.
• Mid-Project Workshop: We’ll be hosting a program-wide workshop at UBC to mark the midpoint of our five year initiative. This event will bring together researchers, project partners, and stakeholders to share progress, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration and impact.
• To ensure timely sharing of results, we will also be offering focused webinars for stakeholders interested inour latest findings. These sessions will provide opportunities to hear directly from researchers, ask questions,and discuss how emerging evidence can support policy, planning, and operational decisions.

We’re excited to share these updates as we move into the next phase of the program. Whether you’re in policy, industry, research, or community work, we hope the findings in this newsletter are useful and spark ideas for action. We’re always keen to connect—so if something here resonates, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Lead Investigators: Dr. Amanda Giang (amanda.giang@ubc.ca) & Dr. Patrick Kirchen (patrick.kirchen@ubc.ca)
Program Manager: Dr. Jeremy Rochussen (jeremy.rochussen@ubc.ca)