Greenhouse Gases Inventories - Argentina

Cities play an important role in tackling climate change, and can facilitate insight through benchmarking and aggregation of comparable data. Greenhouse Gas Inventories is an instrument that develops and promotes local public policies with the goal of combating climate change in towns and cities in Argentina.

Fast facts:

An inventory enables cities to measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
Measurement allows cities to determine where to best direct mitigation efforts, create a strategy to reduce GHG emissions and track their progress;
A city-scale GHG inventory can help cities meet legal and voluntary requirements to measure and report GHG emissions data, making citizens feel part of the plan and encouraging them to take action.

The problem

The effects of climate change are leading to a gradual increase in sea level, changing patterns of rainfall, prolonged droughts, shrinking glaciers, melting icecaps and increased incidence of hurricanes. All of this threatens the survival of many species, with serious effects on biodiversity and economic systems.

The solution

This activity uses ICT to help municipalities and communities in Argentina develop Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP), an instrument used by local governments to plan and develop public policies related to climate change. By inventorying greenhouse gas emissions produced at the local level by the public administration, trade, industry, agriculture and residential sectors and planning mitigation and adaptation strategies, this activity encourages the use of more efficient energy technologies and increases community awareness about the causes and consequences of climate change.

Helping the planet

The purpose of this activity is to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and increase adaptation to climate change.

Helping people

The LCCAP is developed in each district through the leadership of its municipal government with active citizen participation from all social classes. The LCCAPs stimulate technological changes as well as campaigns that motivates mitigation and adaptation actions and the adoption of more sustainable practices.

Scaling Up

This activity works with many different institutions and government actors. To meet the demand of the growing number of local governments adhered to the project, it is necessary that those who have already obtained favorable results collaborate with those who are just beginning. As each city or town implements their LCCAP and shares their adaptation experiences, overall greenhouse gas emissions in Argentina will fall.