The mitigation part in the action plan (SECAP) focuses on GHG emissions from final energy use in sectors under the local authority.

The mitigation part includes:

1. CO₂ emissions* in the base year (reference).
2. Mitigation actions planned and their estimated energy savings, renewable energy production and CO₂ reduction.
3. Follow-ups every two years of the status of the CO₂ emissions, and the final reduction in the target year.

*or GHG emissions expressed as CO₂ equivalent

The Baseline Emission Inventory is the starting point of the mitigation of the GHG emissions as it is where you quantify the amount of CO₂ emitted, during the base year. This is done for the key sectors, as well as other optional sectors, operating within the local territory.

The BEI is based on the final energy consumption, including both municipal and non-municipal energy use. It covers direct emissions from fuel combustion in buildings and facilities as well as transportations. It also covers indirect emissions related to the production of electricity, heat and cold that are consumed within the territory.

There are two alternatives for finding BEI data:

• Collection of actual data. This option is strongly recommended!
• Estimation of data. Only when actual data is not available. In this case, assumptions must comply with the requirements of the Covenant of Mayors.

The geographical boundaries of the BEI are the administrative boundaries of the local authority.

The base year is the reference year which your inventory refers to and for which the data is quantified. It is the emission in the base year that the achieved reduction in the target year is compared to.

It is recommended that you use 1990 as the base year, in order to be inline with EU targets, such as the target of a GHG reduction by 40% to 2030 compared to 1990. In case this is not possible, the closest subsequent year shall be selected where comprehensive and reliable data are available.

Other information of interest is the number of inhabitants of the region in question in order to calculate per capita indicators.

You collect data on the final energy use for sectors under the local authority, where the key sectors (mandatory) are:

• Municipal buildings – buildings and facilities that are public or owned by the local authority, e.g. government offices, schools, police stations, hospitals, etc.
• Tertiary buildings – includes services such as offices of private companies, banks, commercial and retail activities, private schools, hospitals, etc.
• Residential buildings – buildings that are primarily used for residential purposes.
• Transports – e.g. municipal car fleet and local public transport.

You specify the energy use for each energy carrier, including:

• Electricity delivered to end-users (the purchase of certified green electricity can be stated)
• Heat and cold delivered to end-users (e.g. district heating and cooling)
• Fossil fuels consumed by end-users
• Renewable energies consumed by end-users

You are able to include the locally produced energy – both from renewable and non-renewable energy sources – in the BEI following certain criteria*.

The local production of energy are considered in the calculation of the local emission factors, that are applied to the local consumption of electricity and heat/cold.

This data is also utilised to visualise the proportion of locally produced energy compared to total energy use, where the share of renewable energy sources is shown separately.

* The criteria are that the plant is not included in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) or that the capacity is not above 20MW.

CO₂ emissions are calculated for each energy carrier by multiplying the energy consumption with the corresponding emission factor – expressed as either tonnes CO₂ or CO₂ equivalent* per MWh energy.

Emission factors could be calculated by two approaches:

• Standard emission factors (IPCC), which are based on the carbon content of each fuel, and cover the final use of the fuel.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emission factors, which in addition to the final use of the fuel, also cover all emissions of the supply chain, i.e. emissions from exploitation, transport and processing of the fuel.

Default emission factors are available for different fuels, but you can also choose emission factors that are more appropriate for your local context.

You need to calculate the local emission factors for electricity and heat/cold based on the local energy production mix. To also show the effect of changes in the national power grid mix, you need to state the national emission factor for electricity.

*CO₂ equivalents are used if you consider other green house gases as well as CO₂

To support the signatories to carry out a Baseline Emission Inventory, you will find the following documents useful.

• In the online library of the Covenant of Mayors Office www.covenantofmayors.eu/support/library
  • A guidebook on BEI can be found – Guidebook ‘How to develop a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP)’. PART 2 – Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) and Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA)
  • The SECAP template can be found, where data shall be entered.
• There is an Empowering template for the collection of data on energy use and energy supply, https://empowering2020.eu/collect-analyse-register-data

For general support, turn to www.covenantofmayors.eu