Many countries are in the process of mapping their national CO2 emissions, but none has managed to produce an overall report at municipal level yet. Denmark, however, is in the midst of such a project. Using a new national IT-based calculation model, which will be ready this autumn, municipalities can calculate the extent of their CO2 emissions and identify ways to reduce them. This allows them to compare their CO2 emissions between themselves, as well as with other municipalities in the EU.
"The Danish CO2 calculation methodology for municipalities is based on EU and UN requirements for national emission reporting. The Danish CO2 calculation methodology may serve as the missing benchmarking tool for municipalities within the EU and the UN," says Anne Mette R. von Benzon, project manager at COWI, the person behind the model.
Uniform basisIn autumn 2007, the Danish Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Climate and Energy and Local Government Denmark (LGDK) decided to develop a nationally recognised methodology that would allow Danish municipalities to map CO2 emissions on a uniform basis.
The model will take into account municipal operations, transport, agricultural emissions of methane and greenhouse gases, commercial energy use and citizens’ use of energy and heating supplies, waste production and traffic habits.
Together with the CO2 calculator, COWI is preparing a catalogue for ways the municipalities can reduce their CO2 emissions within areas such as waste, traffic, agriculture and nature.
Århus: cycling capital of the worldÅrhus, which is Denmark's second largest city, is one of the first local authorities to use the CO2 calculator. The CO2 calculator shows, among other things, that at least 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions stem from the citizens’ use of energy and transport within Århus. As a result, the city would like to influence its citizens' habits.
"One of our ambitions could be to make the city the cycling capital of Denmark, Scandinavia or the world. That would be an extraordinary step towards reducing CO2 emissions from the transport sector," says Claus Nickelsen, Head of Århus's Nature and Environment Department.
By Christina Tækker, cht@cowi.comPublished: 12.08.2008