Optimization of the Carbon Emissions and Energy Use of a COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain in an Urban Ecosystem Using a GIS Based Model

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science Program of the Department of Environmental Science invites all the members of the Loyola Schools community to the Thesis Defense of Ms. Melissa J. Elazegui, Mr. Uriel Victor M. Escobido, and Mr. Amiel Christian Montilla on 4 May 2022 at 4:00 in the afternoon (online).

Ms. Elazegui, Mr. Escobido, and Mr. Montilla's thesis entitled, “Optimization of the Carbon Emissions and Energy Use of a COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain in an Urban Ecosystem Using a GIS Based Model" will be presented to Ms. Abigail Marie T. Favis, Mr. Angelo Carlo R. Galindo, and Mr. Raymond S. Rodolfo. Their advisers are Ms. Alecz Gabrielle S. Fernandez and Ms. Jean Meir Jardeleza Mijares.

Abstract

As the global race for the development of a useful COVID-19 vaccine drags on, an aspect of it that goes unnoticed is the environmental cost. The initial implementation of the vaccines started in late 2020 as Sputnik V, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines were approved by regulatory agencies for emergency use. The Philippines started its vaccination campaign in early March 2021 as the first batches of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines arrived, while millions more are expected to come in the next months as the government diversifies its source of vaccines. Aside from transportation, it is expected that the storage, local distribution, and use of the vaccines will also consume energy and produce carbon emissions. This study accounted for the carbon emissions of the vaccine supply chain within Pasig City in Metro Manila, Philippines from July to December 2021. The city is in the most populous region in the country with one of the highest numbers of active COVID-19 cases. It is important to account for the environmental costs of the vaccine supply chain because little progress has been made, since the start of the pandemic, in considering and minimizing such consequences. In an urban ecosystem such as Pasig City, it is essential to tackle structural challenges, such as this, with a holistic approach, where the dimensions of health, economy, and the environment are all given attention. This study created a geographic information system (GIS) - based model, which was used for multiple objective optimization (MOO) of the vaccine supply chain within Pasig City using several alternative scenarios. The variables include the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the  transportation of the vaccines from the central storage facility to vaccination sites, the distance of specified routes, energy used by storage equipment, and energy used during vaccination proper. This study determined that a single delivery vehicle used for vaccine transport for the current scenario in Pasig City garnered the least economic and environmental costs. However, several variables should be considered should this scenario be implemented in the vaccination program.

Keywords: COVID-19, vaccine supply chain, carbon emissions, energy consumption, optimization

For those who wish to join the oral presentation and defense, kindly get in touch with Ms. Jean Meir Jardeleza Mijares at jjardeleza@ateneo.edu for the official Zoom link.

Thank you.