Territorial and Consumption-Based Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessments: Implications for Spatial Planning Policies

Kimmo Lylykangas, Rebecca Cachia, Damiano Cerrone, Kaie Kriiska, Ulrich Norbisrath, Peter R. Walke, Anssi Joutsiniemi and Jukka Heinonen ()
Additional contact information
Kimmo Lylykangas: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Rebecca Cachia: Dublin’s Energy Agency CODEMA, D02 TK74 Dublin 2, Ireland
Damiano Cerrone: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Kaie Kriiska: Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, 10416 Tallinn, Estonia
Ulrich Norbisrath: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Peter R. Walke: Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, 10416 Tallinn, Estonia
Anssi Joutsiniemi: Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, 00076 Espoo, Finland
Jukka Heinonen: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-29

Abstract: The quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is increasingly important in spatial planning for regions, cities, and areas. The combination of territorial and consumption-based accounting (CBA) approaches can currently be considered best practice for calculating GHG emissions at sub-national levels, in terms of informing local decision-making about the different climate impacts of spatial planning policies, both within the boundaries of a given region and for the inhabitants of that region. This study introduces four European case studies that were conducted using the two quantification approaches to assess the climate impacts of locally relevant planning policies. The case studies represent different scales of spatial planning, different European planning systems, and different situations in terms of data availability. Territorial results are not suitable for inter-regional comparison, but rather for internal monitoring, while CBA allows for comparison and provides a comprehensive picture of the global carbon footprint of residents, however, with indications that are more difficult to link to spatial planning decisions. Assessing impacts, and in particular interpreting results, requires both methodological understanding and knowledge of the local context. The results of the case studies show that setting climate targets and monitoring the success of climate action through a single net emissions figure can give false indications. The study shows that the two approaches to quantifying GHG emissions provide complementary perspectives on GHG emissions at the sub-national level and thus provide a more thorough understanding of the GHG emission patterns associated with spatial planning policies. The identification of the regional differences in GHG emission sources and mitigation potentials are the main functions of sub-national GHG inventories and the impact assessment for spatial planning. Harmonization of the data collection for sub-national GHG inventories and the transparency of underlying assumptions would greatly support the coherence of climate action and the implications to spatial planning.

Keywords: climate action; GHG quantification; spatial planning; carbon neutrality; territorial GHG accounting; consumption-based GHG accounting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:6:p:1144-:d:1159007

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