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CoM SSA Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) course

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  1. MODULE 1: Setting the scene
  2. Lesson 1.1: Introduction to the CoM SSA initiative
    2 Topics
  3. Lesson 1.2: Introduction to the SEACAP
    3 Topics
  4. Lesson 1.3: Climate change and cities in Africa
    2 Topics
  5. MODULE 2: SEACAP mitigation pillar
  6. Lesson 2.1: Key concepts in climate change mitigation
    1 Topic
  7. Lesson 2.2: Introduction to the mitigation pillar
    2 Topics
  8. Lesson 2.3: The SEACAP development process for the mitigation pillar
    1 Topic
  9. Lesson 2.4: Emissions inventories: GHG emissions
    4 Topics
  10. Lesson 2.5: Developing a Baseline Emissions Inventory (BEI)
    3 Topics
  11. Lesson 2.6: Tools for BEI development
    2 Topics
  12. MODULE 3: SEACAP access to energy pillar
  13. Lesson 3.1: Key concepts in access to energy
  14. Lesson 3.2: Introduction to the access to energy pillar
    2 Topics
  15. Lesson 3.3: The SEACAP development process for the access to energy pillar
  16. Lesson 3.4: Data collection
    3 Topics
  17. Lesson 3.5: Developing an Access to Energy Assessment (AEA)
    2 Topics
  18. Lesson 3.6: Setting an energy vision and targets
    3 Topics
  19. Module 3.7: Planning energy actions
    3 Topics
  20. MODULE 4: SEACAP adaptation pillar
  21. Lesson 4.1: Key Concepts in climate change adaptation
    1 Quiz
  22. Lesson 4.2: Introduction to the adaptation pillar
    2 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  23. Lesson 4.3: The SEACAP development process for the adaptation pillar
    1 Topic
    |
    1 Quiz
  24. Lesson 4.4: Developing a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA)
    1 Quiz
  25. Lesson 4.5: Setting an adaptation vision and sectoral targets
    2 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  26. Lesson 4.6: Planning adaptation actions
    2 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  27. MODULE 5: Steps to take before you implement your SEACAP
  28. Lesson 5.1: Next steps for prioritised actions
  29. Lesson 5.2: Categorising actions to access external finance
    2 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  30. MODULE 6: Communicating your SEACAP
  31. Lesson 6.1: Designing your SEACAP
    3 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  32. Lesson 6.2: Communicating your SEACAP to key stakeholders
    1 Topic
    |
    1 Quiz
  33. MODULE 7: Reporting your SEACAP
  34. Lesson 7.1: Introduction to reporting your SEACAP
    3 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  35. Lesson 7.2: Introduction to reporting the mitigation pillar
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  36. MODULE 8: Integrating your SEACAP into existing planning processes
  37. Lesson 8.1: Integrating your SEACAP actions into local level plans
    1 Topic
  38. Lesson 2.7: Setting mitigation targets
    2 Topics
  39. Lesson 2.8: Planning mitigation actions
    1 Topic
  40. Lesson 7.4: Introduction to reporting the access to energy pillar
    3 Topics
  41. Lesson 7.3: Introduction to reporting the adaptation pillar
    3 Topics

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Under the mitigation pillar for CoM SSA, all local governments and cities are required to set and report a city-wide emission reduction target. These reflect global best practices. 

Criteria for target setting

The CRF defines 8 criteria for setting a city-wide target

  1. Boundary
  2. Target type
  3. Target year
  4. Base year
  5. Ambition
  6. Units
  7. Use of transferable emissions units
  8. Conditionality

Let’s explore each of these criteria in more detail.

1. Boundary

  • The target boundary shall be consistent with all emissions sources included in the GHG emissions inventory, with the possibility to exclude sources that are not controlled by (i.e. under the jurisdiction of) the local government.
  • In case that the target boundary does not align with the inventory boundary, any additions or exclusions shall be specified and justified.

2. Target type

Local governments shall use one of the following four target types: 

  • With a base-year emissions target, a local government aims for an absolute reduction in emissions relative to a base year, which is often framed in percentage terms.
  • Emissions intensity is the average emissions per unit of another indicator, e.g. emissions/person, emissions/dollar spent in the year, emissions/kWh consumed. It tries to explain what the carbon footprint is for each resident in the city or for the occurrence of a particular activity in a given year.
  • Base-year intensity targets, like base-year emissions targets, are reflected as a percentage reduction in the intensity. 
  • It requires census or economic data which corresponds with the timing of the greenhouse gas inventory collation so that emissions intensity per capita or per unit GDP can be calculated.
  • This can be a more manageable target for rapidly urbanising and developing cities, or cities with fast economic growth.
  • Fixed-level targets aim to reduce emissions to an absolute level in a target year (rather than aiming for a percentage reduction as with base year targets). 
  • The most common of these, especially after the Paris Agreement, is a carbon neutrality goal, designed to reach zero net emissions by a certain date. This is where emissions are reduced to a level where it no longer adds to the stock in the atmosphere.
  • This can be a complicated target to aim for and track, because of residual emissions – the anthropogenic carbon dioxide which is still emitted by the time the target date arrives. These emissions then have to be offset by purchasing carbon credits for emissions reduction and sequestration schemes in other areas of jurisdiction. 
  • Although the details of carbon neutrality can be quite complicated, one of its benefits is that the general principle is easy to communicate and might be more meaningful in certain contexts compared to other types of targets.
  • Baseline scenario targets aim for a percentage reduction from a projected business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. 
  • Because of the large amount of data, the advanced modelling and the specialised capacity which go into the assumptions of these projections, these types of targets are challenging to develop from scratch. 
  • The inputs require both historical data and forecasted demographic and economic data to produce a pathway which reflects an absence of ramped up mitigation actions (referred to as business as usual).
  • Drivers of increasing BAU trajectories are often GDP growth forecasts (disaggregated by economic sector) or population growth.
  • In some cases, it is possible to develop a BAU scenario for a city with relatively simple modelling based on a national BAU scenario. This is a helpful way for a city to set targets for emission reductions that are aligned with national targets, for example those communicated in the Nationally Determined Contribution.
  • If this type of target is used, it is important that the method for developing the baseline scenario is transparent, that the targets and actions set are ambitious, and that there is integrity in assessing the ambition of the mitigation strategy.
  • In addition to careful target setting and action planning, this requires robusting monitoring and reporting of mitigation actions.

Given the requirements for the target types and their suitability for different baselines, cities will be able to determine which one is most useful, and realistic.

3. Target year

  • This is the year by which the emission reduction target is met. 
  • Local governments shall choose a long-term target year and interim target years.

4. Base year

  • The base year is the year that the target is based on and compared to.
  • Generally, the target base year is the same year as the baseline emissions inventory year.
  • Local governments shall choose a base year with the recommendation to balance the following considerations:
    • The base year has high quality and reliable data available.
    • The base year is a correct representation of the normal emission profile.
    • The base year is aligned with a science-based target method and or the country’s NDC.

5. Ambition

  • Cities/regions should strive to be as ambitious as possible when setting emission targets, while still being realistic. 
  • At a minimum, the target shall be as ambitious as the NDC. 
  • Local governments should set targets that are more ambitious than the NDC.

6. Units

  • Targets shall be reported as a percentage (%) reduction from the base year or scenario year (for base year emissions, base year intensity and baseline scenario targets). 
  • The absolute emissions in the target year(s) in metric tonnes CO2e shall also be reported for all target types.
  • If possible, the same approach should be chosen as for the national NDC target.

7. Transferable emissions units

  • The use of transferable emissions units is only permissible when a local government’s target ambition exceeds the unconditional components of the NDC. 
  • Where this is the case, the local government shall report the target, with and without the transferable emissions units, as well as identify the source of the transferable emissions units. 

8. Conditional components

  • Conditional components include where cities set a stretch target, or where actions are identified for other key stakeholders beyond that which they have committed to themselves (for example, where a local government assumes a more ambitious reduction in the carbon intensity of the national electricity grid than that committed to in the NDC or official government policy).
  • Local governments may include a conditional component in their mitigation target. 
  • Any conditional components included in the target shall be identified and, where possible, the conditional components should also be quantified.
  • For cities with very few resources, developing targets that are conditional on external support is an option, where this is aligned with the relevant NDC.

CoM SSA is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ)

Disclaimer

This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ). Its contents are the sole responsibility of Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the other co-funders.