Have you calculated your carbon footprint yet? Eleven Latin American cities already have

The United Nations’ (UN) red alert is clear: The earth is now 1.1 degrees Celsius (C) hotter than before the beginning of the industrial revolution. We are nowhere near the targets agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which calls for holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius or limiting it to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

To avoid an increase above 1.5 °C, the world will have to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through lower fossil fuel consumption by approximately 6 percent a year between 2020 and 2030, among other actions to be taken. “Many governments are now moving in the right direction,” the UN says. By early 2021, countries producing more than 65 percent of global CO2 emissions, and more than 70 percent of the world economy, will have made ambitious commitments to carbon neutrality.”

A study carried out by two researchers from the Basque Centre for Climate Change, in which they analyzed the adaptation plans of 59 of the largest coastal cities worldwide, also draws attention to the following: Cities are not adequately preparing to cope with the impacts of climate change.

“Adaptation plans are still ineffective, among other factors, because funding processes are not well defined, insufficient responsibilities are assigned, the regulatory nature of such policies and plans is quite scarce, knowledge on the impacts and risks of climate change is not adequately generated or used, and finally, the issues of equity and social justice are not yet well integrated,” Marta Olazabal, co-author of the report, says.

Research shows that some cities have worked harder than others to design their adaptation plans. Los Angeles and Baltimore, in the United States, stand out, as well as Montevideo, Uruguay, Lisbon, Portugal and Ulsan, South Korea. The worst performers in terms of policy include Hong Kong and Shanghai, China, Sapporo, Japan, and Cape Town, South Africa.

In order to better understand the magnitude of the problem and adopt the most efficient solutions, 11 Latin American cities calculated their carbon footprint, or GHG emissions inventory—which is a quantitative indicator that reflects the impact that people, organizations, products and events have on climate change.

The per-sector analysis shows that transport accounts on average for as much as 46 percent of total emissions, followed by the residential, commercial and institutional waste sectors, with 21 percent, and finally the industrial sector, representing 13 percent. A per-capita analysis shows that the cities of Quito, Santa Cruz de Galapagos and Guayaquil (Ecuador), as well as Tarija and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in Bolivia, have above-average values, while Lima (Peru), Cali (Colombia), La Paz (Bolivia), Fortaleza and Recife (Brazil) and Loja (Ecuador) ranked below average.

“We also used the Cities Footprint project to measure water footprint—which is a multidimensional indicator to measure appropriation (use, consumption and pollution) of freshwater resources—to promote the inclusion of footprint indicators in strategic planning by municipal governments, as well as set reduction targets and identify green financing opportunities in cities,” Olazabal said, adding that such action plans could be considered as “potential investment portfolios” for such cities. Considering the implementation of project phases I, II and III across 11 cities, an estimated potential reduction of more than 100 million tons of CO2 is estimated by 2032, according to the report published by CAF’s Directorate of Sustainability, Inclusion and Climate Change—which helms this initiative.

To calculate the carbon footprint produced by individuals for free, click here or consult a variety of mobile applications.

The estimation of carbon and water footprint in cities allowed researchers to identify 199 initiatives dealing with carbon footprint reduction, as well as 97 aiming to curb water footprint, jointly and in concert with municipal governments. Such initiatives include: Eco-efficient neighborhoods in La Paz, the harnessing of biogas from the Las Iguanas landfill in Guayaquil, as well as Cali’s Green Corridor Phase III (Stage 1) project, Tarija’s design and implementation of six decentralized wastewater treatment microplants, and Recife’s plan to reduce the discharge of contaminated effluents into the Jiquiá river.

The project included the implementation of a series of pilot actions with escalation potential replicable in other Latin American cities for the development of municipal climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The implementation of these and other similar initiatives will help combat global warming, promote carbon neutrality and achieve more resilient cities for the benefit of all.