By upgrading the methodology of the city’s emissions inventory, Buenos Aires identified a new focus area for its Climate Change Action Plan.
In 2011, Buenos Aires enacted the Climate Change Law in support of its Climate Change Action Plan, confirming its commitment to reducing emissions. The law enforces checks and updates of the plan every five years, the first of which occurred in 2015 and resulted in the conversion of the city’s initial emission inventories to a more accurate, robust version based on the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC).
The process of upgrading the inventories has helped the city define a new focus area of the Climate Change Action Plan for 2020. In addition to the three core pillars of the initial Action Plan – waste, transport, and energy – the city has proposed a fourth pillar on tree planting in urban areas, aiming to improve carbon sequestration and rainfall capture, while reducing the urban heat island effect. Moving forward with these four pillars, combined with efforts already in place, Buenos Aires plans to reduce emissions by 10% by 2020 and by 30% by 2030.
450,000 tons of CO2 reduced by 2015 due to actions set forth in the Climate Change Action Plan
The challenge
Buenos Aires has faced challenges from urbanization since the 1950s. This, combined with the increase of heavy rainfall and heat wave events due to climate change, has increased the city’s vulnerability, particularly in flood-prone areas occupied by informal settlements. The inventory upgraded through the Climate Change Action Plan has allowed the city to more appropriately and accurately plan projects to reduce the impacts of floods and heat waves.
Co-benefits
Environmental So far, waste handling measures implemented under the plan have reduced CO2 emissions by 181,000 tons.
Health The plan aims to plant more trees, which will reduce the urban heat island effect and place less pressure on the public health system.
Social As part of the strategy, more than 6,000 municipal agents, in addition to community institutions such as schools and senior centers, have been trained to respond in emergency situations caused by climate change.
About Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and most populous city of Argentina. “Buenos aires” can be translated as “fair winds” or “good airs”. The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, constitutes the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas, with a population of around 17 million. Buenos Aires is considered an ‘alpha city’ by the study GaWC5. Buenos Aires’ quality of life was ranked 81st in the world and one of the best in Latin America in 2012, with its per capita income among the three highest in the region. Buenos Aires is a top tourist destination, and is known for its preserved Spanish/European-style architecture and rich cultural life.
