Sub-National Scale Initiatives for Climate Change Mitigation: Refining the Approach to Increase the Effectiveness of the Covenant of Mayors

Fabio Sporchia, Michela Marchi (), Enrico Nocentini, Nadia Marchettini and Federico Maria Pulselli
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Fabio Sporchia: Department of Science, Technology and Society, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Michela Marchi: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Enrico Nocentini: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Nadia Marchettini: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Federico Maria Pulselli: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Climate change mitigation strategies include sub-national initiatives proposed and operated by municipalities. An example of such initiatives is the Covenant of Mayors, the signatories of which are requested to compile territorial greenhouse gas emission inventories to identify entry points for mitigating policies and to be able to monitor their effectiveness over time. However, the current accounting approach presents some limitations, providing an incomplete picture of the territorial emissive status, thus hampering the mitigation potential of the set of measures. The present study shows that the current approach required by the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) guidelines for compiling the Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) can be complemented with the accounting guidelines proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in order to fill existing gaps and provide a comprehensive picture from a different point of view. The proposed refinement demonstrates that local administrative bodies can count on a tool able to provide detailed and accurate information, stimulate knowledge and awareness, and optimize local mitigation efforts sometimes limited by the application of large scale (national) top-down initiatives.

Keywords: climate policy; Covenant of Mayors; GHG emission accounting; sub-national scale climate action; Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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