Back to Course

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

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
  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. Lesson 2.7: Setting mitigation targets
    2 Topics
  13. Lesson 2.8: Planning mitigation actions
    1 Topic
  14. MODULE 3: SEACAP access to energy pillar
  15. Lesson 3.1: Key concepts in access to energy
  16. Lesson 3.2: Introduction to the access to energy pillar
    2 Topics
  17. Lesson 3.3: The SEACAP development process for the access to energy pillar
    1 Topic
  18. Lesson 3.4: Data collection
    3 Topics
  19. Lesson 3.5: Developing an Access to Energy Assessment (AEA)
    2 Topics
  20. Lesson 3.6: Setting an energy vision and targets
    3 Topics
  21. Module 3.7: Planning energy actions
    3 Topics
  22. MODULE 4: SEACAP adaptation pillar
  23. Lesson 4.1: Key Concepts in climate change adaptation
  24. Lesson 4.2: Introduction to the adaptation pillar
    2 Topics
  25. Lesson 4.3: The SEACAP development process for the adaptation pillar
    1 Topic
  26. Lesson 4.4: Developing a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA)
  27. Lesson 4.5: Setting an adaptation vision and sectoral targets
    2 Topics
  28. Lesson 4.6: Planning adaptation actions
    2 Topics
  29. MODULE 5: Steps to take before you implement your SEACAP
  30. Lesson 5.1: Next steps for prioritised actions
  31. Lesson 5.2: Categorising actions to access external finance
    2 Topics
  32. MODULE 6: Communicating your SEACAP
  33. Lesson 6.1: Designing your SEACAP
    3 Topics
  34. Lesson 6.2: Communicating your SEACAP to key stakeholders
    1 Topic
  35. MODULE 7: Reporting your SEACAP
  36. Lesson 7.1: Introduction to reporting your SEACAP
    3 Topics
  37. Lesson 7.2: Introduction to reporting the mitigation pillar
    4 Topics
  38. Lesson 7.3: Introduction to reporting the adaptation pillar
    3 Topics
  39. Lesson 7.4: Introduction to reporting the access to energy pillar
    3 Topics
  40. MODULE 8: Integrating your SEACAP into existing planning processes
  41. Lesson 8.1: Integrating your SEACAP actions into local level plans
    1 Topic

Participants 1632

Show more
Lesson Progress
0% Complete

Below are key terms related to climate change and its impacts:

Emissions

Fossil fuels

Greenhouse gases (GHGs)

GHGs are gases that exist in the atmosphere that contribute to the Earth’s greenhouse effect - meaning that they play a role in trapping heat inside the atmosphere and warming the Earth. Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), ozone (O3) and water vapour (H2O) are the primary GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere. These occur naturally but are also produced by human activities. Other greenhouse gases that can be accounted for are: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) Note that different GHGs have different effects in the atmosphere and thus “cause” global warming to different degrees. The science behind this is tackled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who publish values that quantify the “global warming potential” of the different GHGs, relative to CO2 as the baseline.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions In the context of climate change and global warming, emissions = the production and release of greenhouse gases.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas that is a product of respiration of all living creatures, including humans, as well as other natural processes. Carbon dioxide is also a by-product of human activities, including burning fossil fuels (such as oil, gas and coal), burning biomass, land-use changes and industrial processes (e.g. cement production).

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Nitrous oxide (N2O) N2O is produced naturally from a wide variety of biological sources in soil and water, particularly microbial action in wet tropical forests. The main anthropogenic source of N2O is agriculture (soil and animal manure management), but important contributions also come from sewage treatment, fossil fuel combustion, and chemical industrial processes.

Methane (CH4)

Methane (CH4) Methane is the major component of natural gas and is associated with all hydrocarbon fuels. Significant methane emissions occur as a result of animal agriculture, and management of these emissions represents a major mitigating opportunity.

Anthropogenic emissions

Anthropogenic emissions These are GHG emissions resulting from human activities. Such activities include the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, land use and land-use changes, livestock production, fertilisation, waste management and industrial processes.

Biogenic emissions

Biogenic carbon dioxide emissions Biogenic CO2 emissions, written as CO2(b), arise from the combustion (burning) of biomass materials that naturally sequester (absorb) CO2, including fuels produced from living organisms or biological processes, but excluding fossil sources. For example, trees absorb CO2 as they grow, and burning firewood made from trees emits CO2, which would then be counted as biogenic CO2. For GHG inventories, following international protocols, biogenic CO2 emissions are not included in the GHG emission totals. However, CO2 emitted from any source contributes to global warming and climate change.

Cumulative emissions

Cumulative emissions The total amount of emissions released over a period of time.

Sources and sinks

“Sources” are processes, areas or ecosystems that add GHG emissions to the atmosphere overall. “Sinks” are processes, areas or ecosystems that remove GHG emissions from the atmosphere overall. Example: Forests typically absorb more carbon dioxide (through plant photosynthesis) than they release (through decomposition of dead plants). Thus, they are referred to as carbon sinks.

Sequestration

Sequestration refers to the capture and storage of greenhouse gases. It can be understood as the opposite of emission. Sequestration can be part of natural processes, such as plants absorbing carbon dioxide, but can also be part of human-made processes, such as using carbon capture technology.

Mitigation

Climate change mitigation

Climate change mitigation This is human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance GHG sinks.

Mitigation measures

In climate policy, mitigation measures are technologies, processes or practices that contribute to mitigation. Example: Renewable energy (RE) technologies, waste minimisation processes, and public transport commuting practices.

Scenarios

Emission scenario

A plausible representation of the future development of emissions based on specific assumptions about driving forces (such as demographic and socioeconomic development, technological change, energy, and land use) and their key relationships. Concentration scenarios, derived from emission scenarios, estimate the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere (and other carbon reservoirs) under a set of possible future conditions and are often used as input to climate models to compute climate projections.

Baseline scenario/ Business-as-usual (BAU) scenario

These scenarios are based on the assumption that no mitigation policies or measures will be implemented beyond those that are already in force and/or are legislated or planned to be adopted. Baseline scenarios are not intended to be predictions of the future, but rather serve to highlight the level of emissions that would occur without further action. Typically, baseline scenarios are compared to scenarios that are constructed to meet different goals for GHG emissions and climate change mitigation.

Mitigation scenario

A plausible description of the future that models how GHG emissions would change in response to the implementation of mitigation policies and measures.

Global climate change frameworks and agreements

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The UNFCCC was adopted in May 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It entered into force in March 1994 and currently has 198 Parties (197 member states and the European Union). The Convention’s ultimate objective is the ‘stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’. The Convention is operationalised and implemented by two treaties: the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

The Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty adopted at the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the UNFCCC in December 1997, Kyoto, Japan. It contains legally binding commitments, in addition to those included in the UNFCCC. Under the Protocol, signatory countries agreed to reduce their anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels in the first commitment period (2008-2012). The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005 and as of 2018 had 192 signatory Parties (191 states and the European Union). A second commitment period was agreed in December 2012 at COP18, known as the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, in which a new set of Parties committed to reduce GHG emissions by at least 18% below 1990 levels in the period from 2013 to 2020. The Doha Amendment finally received sufficient ratifications to enter into force on 31 December 2020.

Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC was adopted in December 2015 in Paris, France, at the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21). The agreement was adopted by 196 Parties to the UNFCCC. One of the goals of the Paris Agreement is: ‘Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels’, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Additionally, the Agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

A term used under the UNFCCC whereby a country that has joined the Paris Agreement outlines its plans for reducing its GHG emissions. Some countries’ NDCs also address how they will adapt to climate change impacts, and what support they need from, or will provide to, other countries to adopt low-carbon pathways and build climate resilience. According to the Paris Agreement, each Party shall prepare, communicate and maintain successive NDCs that it intends to achieve. In the lead-up to COP21 in 2015, countries submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). As countries join the Paris Agreement, this INDC becomes their first NDC, unless they decide otherwise.

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.