A town council's carbon footprint: from emissions inventory to decisions

auma calculated the carbon footprint of the municipal organisation of a city in Baix Llobregat: the emissions inventory of the council's buildings, services and fleet, which is the basis for planning any reduction.

Project overview

The challenge

A council that wants to lead its municipality's climate transition has to start at home, and that is less straightforward than it sounds:

• Scattered data: consumption spread across buildings, street lighting, fleet and outsourced services, often in different systems.
• Inventory boundaries: deciding what belongs to the organisation's footprint and what belongs to the municipality as a whole.
• Real usefulness: the goal was not a certificate but the ability to prioritise action on solid grounds.

The auma solution

The calculation was designed from the start as a decision-making tool:

• Collection and cleaning of activity data across every area of the municipal organisation.
• Emissions calculated by scope and source, using official emission factors with full traceability.
• Results read for action: which sources weigh most and where there is real room to reduce.

The result

• A complete emissions inventory of the municipal organisation, with documented methodology.
• A technical basis to register the footprint and to steer the municipality's climate action plan.
• The council can prioritise efficiency and renewable investments on its own data rather than estimates.

A council asking its local economy for climate effort needs, first, to know and publish its own number.

Frequently asked questions

What does a council's carbon footprint include?

Direct emissions from the municipal fleet and boilers (scope 1), indirect emissions from electricity used in buildings and street lighting (scope 2) and, depending on the chosen boundary, those from purchasing, contracted services and waste (scope 3).

Organisation footprint or municipality footprint?

They are different calculations. The organisation's covers council activity and is what the council can cut directly. The municipality's covers all activity in the territory and supports policy planning such as local climate action plans.

What is it useful for?

Registering it officially, underpinning the municipal climate action plan, accessing funding schemes that require it, and prioritising efficiency investment on real data.