Toward Carbon Neutrality: A Methodological Approach for Assessing and Mitigating Urban Emissions at the Neighborhood Level, Applied to Benicalap, Valencia

Carlos Vargas-Salgado, Carla Montagud-Montalvá (), David Alfonso-Solar and Lucía Izquierdo- De-Andrés
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Carlos Vargas-Salgado: Institute for Energy Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Carla Montagud-Montalvá: Institute for Energy Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
David Alfonso-Solar: Institute for Energy Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Lucía Izquierdo- De-Andrés: Institute for Energy Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-25

Abstract: This study presents a methodology for estimating the carbon footprint of urban neighborhoods as a necessary step in proposing and evaluating potential GHG reduction measures to enhance the sustainability of cities. Additionally, this method has been applied to Benicalap, a district in Valencia, Spain. This research employs the Datadis, QGIS, and HOMER tools to assess emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Tailored mitigation strategies are proposed, primarily focusing on reducing emissions in Scopes 1 and 2. While previous studies have extensively examined CO 2 emissions at broader geographic scales, like nations, regions, and cities, this study emphasizes the importance of neighborhood-level analysis to address localized environmental challenges effectively. The results reveal that Benicalap’s emissions contribute 28.69 ktCO 2 (15.56%) to Scope 1, 13.71 ktCO 2 (7.43%) to Scope 2, and 142 ktCO 2 (77%) to Scope 3. By 2030, targeted interventions could reduce emissions from Scopes 1 and 2 by 19,885 ktCO 2 , representing a 50.69% reduction. Among the proposed measures, sustainable transportation improvements and photovoltaic deployment stand out, contributing to 25.39% and 24.87% of the reduction, respectively. Enhancements in public lighting and nature-based solutions would offer a minor decrease of 0.43%. These insights underscore the need for strategic, localized interventions to achieve meaningful emission reductions and support sustainable urban development efforts.

Keywords: carbon footprint; CO 2 inventory; PV systems; sustainability; nature-based solutions; global warming mitigation measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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