The Invisible Tip of the Iceberg: Why BASIC+ and Scope 3 Emissions are Critical for Cities

Lost Emissions: Why BASIC+ Matters

In a city's fight against climate change, it is no longer enough to simply count smoke from chimneys or vehicles in traffic. For a real transformation, it is necessary to look at the whole picture, even beyond city borders. The GPC Standard meets this deepening need of cities with BASIC+ reporting level and Scope 3 (non-urban) emissions.

But why do we need more (BASIC+) when we have the basic level (BASIC) and why are emissions outside city limits so important?

From BASIC to BASIC+: Extending the Scope

GPC offers two main levels of reporting according to the data collection capacity of cities: BASIC and BASIC+.

• BASIC: Minimum requirements for which data is readily available in almost all cities. It mainly covers the Stationary Energy (buildings), Transportation and Waste sectors.
• BASIC+: But for cities that want to take climate action a step further, BASIC+ comes into play. This level brings the following critical areas into the equation in addition to BASIC resources
  • Industrial Processes and Product Utilization (IPPU): Emissions of chemical reactions from production processes in factories.
  • AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use): Emissions from agricultural activities and land changes within city boundaries.
  • Transboundary Transportation: Emissions from the entire journey of vehicles, planes or trains entering or leaving the city.

This expanded scope presents the city's carbon profile "precisely" rather than "crudely".

Danger Beyond Borders: Scope 3 and Consumption-Based Emissions

Just because the food that residents consume, the clothes they wear or the cement used in buildings are not produced in a city does not mean that the city is not responsible for these emissions. This is exactly what Scope 3 defines as this "invisible" burden.

These emissions, which are triggered by activities within city boundaries but physically occur outside the city, are often associated with Consumption-based inventories.

Why is this so important?

The data reveals a striking fact: For many cities, especially in Europe and North America, consumption-based emissions can be up to 60% larger than emissions generated within the city (sector-based). This is because modern cities are centers of consumption rather than production, and most emissions are "imported" from outside the city through the supply chain.

For a Holistic Climate Strategy

Moving to BASIC+ and reporting Scope 3 emissions (especially those from the supply chain) provides cities with the following strategic advantages

1. Seeing the Real Impact: City managers understand the real impact of citizens' consumption habits on the global climate, not just local traffic.
2. Circular Economy Opportunities: Seeing emissions in areas such as building materials or food supply drives cities towards circular economy models and sustainable supply chain policies.
3. Evidence-Based Decisions: This data enables Climate Action Plans (CAPs) to be more realistic, evidence-based and aligned with 1.5°C targets.

In conclusion, the BASIC level is a good start for a city's "carbon scorecard", but the BASIC+ and Scope 3 analysis is the "masterpiece" on a city's path to climate leadership