The challenges and ways to overcome them
Consumption-based emission inventories are useful but also resource intensive to develop. Resources are needed to establish an inventory, and special skills are needed to compile and interpret the data. In all four countries human and financial resources, and competence development were identified as key needs (by 70–80 % of respondents) for the municipality to be able to initiate or step-up work on consumption-based CO2e emission inventories.
Legislation supporting a focus on sustainable consumption was also seen as a relevant precondition (60–70 % of respondents). This could include, for example, guidance on procurement.
We organized and hosted workshops in three countries, a pan-Nordic workshop, as well as a global workshop during the UN Stockholm 50+ conference, which collectively illuminated specific challenges for creating and maintaining comprehensive consumption-based inventories. During these workshops, many participants mentioned the lack of data and methodological issues as barriers for developing municipal inventories. More standardized methods can solve some of these issues. However, some participants at the workshops also noted that detailed monitoring at the municipal level may not be needed for action; they argued that a broad overview of emissions is sufficient to guide the adoption and implementation of policies.
Despite the potential use of consumption-based information, the participants of the workshops noted that lack of political support may limit the possibilities to take action on consumption-based emissions in the municipality. This often results in limited resources being allocated to develop the knowledge, data and tools which are needed. Pioneer municipalities are important for overcoming the barriers by demonstrating how to produce and use consumption-based information on emissions. An initial step is often to examine the consumption-based emissions of the municipality’s own activities. This strengthens the capacity to deal with consumption-based data and methodological issues such as the specification system boundaries. It also provides the municipality information that can be used directly to improve procurement and support the management system of the municipality.
For wider application and use of consumption-based emission data, it is essential to create and maintain services that give all municipalities access to reliable proxy-data which can be used instead of detailed data collected in the municipality. Comparable and transparent information is key as there is currently a very diverse ‘market’ with a wide range of different emission calculators that are based on various assumptions and limitations. It is essential that municipalities can base their actions on coherent and reliable information on consumption-based emissions. The inventories should include both in-house operations and the municipality as a society. In particular, the methods for inventories that cover the whole municipality need to be developed further.
Recommendations
- Ensure support and encouragement for the development and practical application of municipal consumption-based emission estimates with the aim to establish harmonized approaches in the EU and beyond.
- Develop coherent and transparent estimates at the national level that can be used to support municipalities in compiling consumption-based inventories both for the municipality as an organization and as a society. The national-level service should also include a repository for all estimates that have been made, with sufficient metadata to ensure reliability. Extensive exchange across countries should be encouraged by using standardised methodologies.
- Studies on the use and role of consumption-based emission data in municipal climate policy should be encouraged. Such studies could, for example, explore how such information could be used in specific applications such as procurement or in guiding major sectors such as construction, education or health care to lower their carbon footprint.
- The EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
provides opportunities to test how consumption-based inventories can be used in efforts to achieve sustainable and just climate neutrality at the municipal level. Participant cities should therefore be encouraged to explore consumption-based approaches and report on experiences.
