Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The world's cities now have a common method for calculating the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced within their boundaries.United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-HABITAT, and the World Bank jointly launched an International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities at the 5th World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro last week.

City mayors, other urban leaders, businessmen, and civil society all recognize the need to act to reduce the impacts of climate change on cities. While measurement should not delay action, a critical requirement to support policy and access to finance is the establishment of an open, global and harmonized protocol for quantifying the GHG emissions attributable to cities and local regions. "The common standard is a critical first step for cities to better understand their greenhouse gas emissions, with this knowledge cities can better target policies and inform their citizens," said Zoubida Allaoua, World Bank Director for Finance, Economics, and Urban Development.

The Greenhouse Gas Standard calculates emissions on a per capita basis, allowing cities to compare their performance and analyze the differences. For example, greenhouse gas emissions are 4.20 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per capita in Barcelona, Spain, 10.6 in Bangkok, Thailand, and 17.8 in Calgary, Canada. But emissions vary widely among cities depending on their primary energy source, climate, means of transportation and urban form. New York, a high-density city in the US, produces 10.4 tons of CO2e per capita while Denver, another US-city with a much lower density, produces more than double that at 21.3 tons. The new common standard also allows cities to compare their emissions over time, across cities and in specific sectors such as energy, transportation, or waste.

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