Modelling Environmental Impact with a Goal and Causal Relation Integrated Approach

Due to the complexity and cross-disciplinary nature of environmental and climate change related systems, collaborative modelling and cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing is unavoidable. Environmental impact modelling encompasses graphical and numerical representations, synergizes conceptual frameworks with quantitative annotation and computation. As a consequence, a collaborative knowledge sharing and acquisition platform is in dire need to support system analysis and holistic decision making in such a setting. This paper proposes modelling environmental impacts using a goal and causal relation integrated approach. In particular, top-level goals of stakeholders are modeled and refined into concrete parameters and causal relationships. To facilitate collaborative conceptual modelling and model reuse, the paper also provides a set of formalized modelling supports and a six-step collaborative modelling process. At the end of the paper, a running example modelling the relationships between the electronic vehicle market share and the regional GHG emissions is used to illustrate the proposed collaborative conceptual modelling approach.