The role of carbon footprinting in the development of global "lowcarbon" cities

A substantial proportion of anthropogenic greenhouse gas generating activities are concentrated in global cities. Action to reduce emissions at the urban level requires an understanding of lifecycle emissions sources and reduction potentials. Policy response(s) by municipal authorities needs to consider all emissions scopes across the urban lifecycle. Existing framework guidance often does not include all relevant emissions sources, proposes inconsistent methodologies and fails to consider the significance of limited data. A clear statement of the urban system and its boundary is required to develop benchmarks and facilitate the development of global ?lowcarbon? cities. Carbon footprints are being developed to facilitate the management of anthropogenic GHG emissions and offer the opportunity to develop internationally agreed models to inform decision making and localize the issue of climate change. This paper will explain the theory behind their development and outline how theory can be translated into a practical tool.