SECTION 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

 

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1. Aim of the Document and LAKs Project

 

The objective of this Local Government (LG) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Manual is to provide municipal staff with comprehensive advice and instructions for the use of the LAKs Emissions Inventory Tool to develop an emissions inventory that meets the requirements for completion of Phase 1 of the Local Accountability for Kyoto goals (LAKs) project process.

 

This Manual accompanies the easy-to-use LAKs LG GHG Emissions Inventory Tool which has been developed to assist local government staff to complete an inventory in a timely and cost-effective manner. Local government staff do not need to be ‘climate experts’ to use the Inventory Tool to prepare the essential two elements of any local government GHG Inventory, namely:

• a Government Operations Emissions Inventory, and

• a Community Emissions Analysis.

 

The Government Operations Emissions Inventory and Community Emissions Analysis will provide municipalities with valuable information to help develop a strategic approach to reducing GHG emissions. They will help to identify key priority areas and activities to address large emissions sources, and provide a reference from which you can measure achievements as your local government implements emissions reductions actions.

 

The LAKs inventory tool, and this manual, has been developed for use by municipalities in Italy, Poland and Spain. This easy-to-use inventory tool is based on the GHG accounting principles in the International LG GHG Emissions Analysis Protocol, and an associated Country Supplement for each of these countries (yet to be developed!).

 

The LAKs project aims to demonstrate the potential of cities in using existing opportunities and synergies to actively contribute to the achievement of the Kyoto Protocol goals (and the expected follow-up international agreement), and support the achievement of targets set by the European Union within the Climate and Energy package approved in December 2008. The LAKs project focuses on two issues which are the keys for a sustainability local policy: climate change and accountability. For more information on the LAKs project visit the website: http://www.municipio.re.it/LAKs or contact: laks@municipio.re.it

 

The first phase of LAKs Project requires each municipality to produce a Government Operations emissions inventory and a Community emissions analysis that are complete, accurate and credible. As a local government operates within its community it is clear that the Government Operations emissions are a sub-set of the emissions of the whole Community.

 

The process for developing your Government Operations Emissions Inventory involves collecting energy usage data (from energy invoices paid by your municipality) plus records of quantities of waste disposed from Council facilities, and then entering this data into the easy-to-use LAKs Inventory Tool spreadsheet.

 

The process for developing a Community Emissions Analysis involves collecting community energy usage data plus waste-to-landfill disposal data and entering all this into the Inventory Tool. This tool, which is specifically developed for use by local governments, converts the input energy and waste data into information on the equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2e) released into the atmosphere by using nationally or regionally agreed emission factors.

 

This manual aims to provide detailed information on data sources and data collection techniques for development of your Government Operations segment inventory and general information on the development of your Community segment emissions analysis. It also provides a glossary of terms related to the analysis of GHG emissions and the development of inventories.

 

It provides information from international GHG guidelines and standards (UNFCCC and IPCC) and brief information about the methodological basis for GHG inventories and protocols, and also describes aspects of the International Local Government (LG) GHG Emissions Analysis Protocol, and the associated protocol supplement for your country. The supplement provides additional detailed information and specific local data that will allow your local government to develop a credible emissions inventory and community emissions analysis. 

 

Some comment has been added, and the tool adapted, to help municipalities that have signed the Covenant of Mayors, report on their emissions to meet that commitment.

 

This manual will grow and develop as users of the tool encounter data collection and calculation issues that may also be applicable to others. Your feedback will make the tool and this manual better for all users and it will be appreciated.