The executive summary of the first [document/project] was released this Monday (November 9th). Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory (GEE) of the municipality of Canoas, located in Rio Grande do Sul.

The document reveals the city's GHG emissions profile, identifying its main sources and enabling the development of ambitious strategies to reduce these emissions, as well as to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The launch event was attended by the acting mayor of Canoas, Gisele Uequed, and the city's Secretary of the Environment, Alexandre Everaldo de Souza Farias.

“The Inventory will guide us in taking the next steps towards sustainable development, providing us with a suitable environment and improving the quality of life for the people of Canoas,” says Mayor Uequed.

The executive secretary of the city's Climate Change Policy Center, Vera Bini, will present the main results of the Inventory alongside Iris Coluna, project advisor for ICLEI South America.

“Canoas has already been implementing some environmental projects, such as the installation of photovoltaic energy in schools, the removal of garbage from the streets, and recycling plants,” notes Bini.“We want to demonstrate our capabilities to the world by seeking resources in differentiated ways, from real and measurable perspectives.”

According to data from the Inventory, collected by the technical teams of the City Hall of Canoas, the total GHG emissions in Canoas in 2018 were 4,057,642 tons of CO2e. The main contribution to this amount came from the Stationary Energy sector, especially from energy production at the Alberto Pasqualini Refinery (Refap).

When this source of emissions is excluded, the transportation sector takes center stage, mainly due to its consumption of diesel and gasoline.

“"With the mapping done by the Inventory, we will build a climate action plan to minimize GHG emissions," notes Bini.

ICLEI South America project manager, Igor Albuquerque, emphasizes the local government's commitment to producing the material. “"Only with the engagement of the City Hall of Canoas and its technical staff was it possible to launch this Inventory."”

Albuquerque also mentions a lasting legacy that the Inventory leaves for the city: the The articulation of an active and engaged technical group, which demonstrated great capacity and knowledge of the climate agenda. "May this group not fall apart and become increasingly integrated with the other secretariats. ICLEI "We provide instrumental support, with methodologies and tools, but the importance of our work is to empower municipal teams so that this knowledge is retained locally. In this way, the knowledge becomes the property of the municipality, and not just that of an external consultancy."”

Rodrigo Corradi, the organization's Institutional Relations and Advocacy Manager, reinforces the idea that... The inventory doesn't belong to the City Hall, but to the city. "The document reflects the reality of an engagement effort from different levels and sectors of Canoas," he believes.

Corradi also emphasizes that the Inventory is one of the initial steps in local climate action, and it is important to promote updates and revisions, as well as to constantly improve the process and maintain continuous coordination with the working group and local stakeholders.

Next steps

Following the commitment made to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in 2018, Canoas should advance in implementing the climate agenda, with the preparation of a Risk and Vulnerability Analysis to determine the nature and extent of the climate hazards faced by the city. This path will lead to the development of a Climate Action Plan, defining targets for reducing GHG emissions and actions for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

“The data shows us that the work of the Canoas city hall is already on track towards the 2030 Agenda. We need to strengthen ourselves and engage in order to prioritize the climate agenda for the municipality,” concludes Mayor Gisele Uequed.

Click here The complete report of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for Canoas.