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| GREET model | |
|---|---|
| Name | GREET model |
| Developed by | Argonne National Laboratory |
| First release | 1990s |
| Latest release | ongoing |
| License | proprietary / public reports |
| Website | Argonne National Laboratory |
GREET model
The GREET model is a life-cycle assessment tool developed to estimate cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions and energy use for fuels, vehicles, and technologies. It is used by researchers, policy analysts, and industry stakeholders to evaluate impacts across supply chains and to compare alternatives such as biofuels, electric vehicles, and hydrogen pathways. Users include national laboratories, universities, consulting firms, and government agencies engaged with energy and transportation policy.
The GREET model was developed at Argonne National Laboratory and has informed analyses for agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and California Air Resources Board. It supports comparisons among pathways involving feedstocks from regions like Brazil, Canada, and the European Union, and technologies developed by firms such as General Motors, Tesla, Inc., and Toyota. GREET integrates data and methods compatible with international initiatives including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines and metrics used in programs like the Renewable Fuel Standard and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard administered by California Air Resources Board.
GREET employs process-based life-cycle assessment combining unit process modeling with scenario analysis to quantify energy flows and emissions. Methodological elements align with inventories influenced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reporting and the International Organization for Standardization standards such as ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. The model represents stages—from feedstock production in regions like Iowa and Southeast Asia to vehicle manufacturing at facilities associated with Volkswagen and Ford Motor Company—and includes upstream activities such as fertilizer supply chains tied to firms like Yara International and energy inputs from providers like ExxonMobil and BP.
GREET has evolved through multiple releases incorporating updated emission factors, process efficiencies, and new pathways. Major updates reflect advances in battery manufacturing data from suppliers connected to LG Chem and Panasonic, hydrogen pathways influenced by projects in California and Germany, and biofuel pathways tied to feedstock research at institutions like Iowa State University and University of California, Davis. Development involves collaborations and peer review with entities such as National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and international partners in Canada and the European Commission research programs.
Analyses using GREET have been cited in rulemakings and corporate strategy for automakers including Honda and Stellantis, in infrastructure planning by agencies like the Federal Highway Administration, and in academic studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Use cases span comparing lifecycle emissions of corn ethanol from the Midwestern United States versus sugarcane ethanol from Brazil, assessing battery electric vehicle scenarios in metropolitan regions like Los Angeles and New York City, and evaluating hydrogen production routes such as steam methane reforming centered in regions like Texas and electrolysis projects supported by utilities like Southern Company.
GREET integrates data from multiple inventories and organizations including the U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Agency, and datasets from commodity exchanges and industry reports involving corporations such as Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill. Assumptions include vehicle lifetime and use-phase activity often guided by travel patterns documented in studies from National Household Travel Survey and manufacturing yields reported by associations like Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Feedstock yields, land-use change, and fertilizer application rates draw on agricultural research from United States Department of Agriculture and academic studies at CORNELL University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
GREET has been validated against empirical lifecycle inventories and case studies conducted by research groups at Princeton University and University of California, Berkeley, but it also faces critiques concerning input data transparency, treatment of indirect land-use change referenced in debates involving European Commission policy, and representation of allocation methods debated in venues like International Council on Clean Transportation. Critics from NGOs such as Greenpeace and think tanks like the Brookings Institution have raised concerns about assumptions for co-product allocation, temporal dynamics of carbon fluxes, and regional specificity. Defenders cite peer engagement with bodies such as National Academy of Sciences and iterative updates incorporating stakeholder feedback.
GREET outputs have informed regulatory programs including the Renewable Fuel Standard administered by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and low-carbon fuel policies like the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Internationally, GREET-based analyses have contributed to lifecycle inputs referenced in discussions at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and in national greenhouse gas inventories prepared for parties under Paris Agreement submissions. Its role in shaping compliance pathways, corporate sustainability reporting for firms like Shell and BP, and procurement standards for agencies such as General Services Administration underscores its influence across policymaking, industrial strategy, and technical standard setting.
Category:Life cycle assessment