Abstract This study examines the environmental and social implications of replacing diesel buses with battery-electric buses in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, through a clearly defined research question and an analytical framework grounded in emission-accounting methodology and social impact indicators. Environmentally, the avoided emissions were estimated using GHG Protocol-based factors and include uncertainty ranges to account for variability in fuel composition, electricity-grid intensity, and annual fleet mileage. The results indicate that full electrification of the municipal fleet could avoid 125,414 t of CO 2 emissions per year, with sensitivity analysis showing a ± 10% variation depending on operational and energy-mix assumptions. Additionally, 7.8 t of CH 4 and 7.4 t of N 2 O emissions could be avoided annually. Social impacts are assessed using secondary indicators related to air quality exposure, noise reduction, accessibility, and mobility equity, highlighting measurable co-benefits for public health and urban inclusion. By integrating environmental and social dimensions, the study contributes empirical evidence to ongoing debates on sustainable urban transport transitions in metropolitan contexts. Graphical abstract
Ferreira et al. (Sat,) studied this question.