Consumption-based Emissions Inventories and Reuse
presented by Marcel Howard from Upstream
CBEI = consumption-based emissions inventory
cities should use CBEI to calculate full CO2 footprint
using CBEI –> GHG emissions are 60% higher than estimated in 70 cities analyzed
2/3 of consumption-based emissions come from the supply chain
Limits of CBEI:
- CBEI lumps consumption into categories, but frex meat has higher emissions than other types of food
- categories treat all residential consumption as equal, BUT high-income residents usually higher
Carbon impacts are lower for reusables than single-use; conversely compostable products may have higher carbon impacts than some plastics (3rd party life cycle analyses (LCAs) – see Reuse Wins report – reviews 21 LCAs from 2000 to 2021)
Sample CO2 impact scenario:
- pop of 800,000; each person uses 3 items a day per year
- with disposables, emissions would be 130,000 metric tons
- with reusables, emissions would be 9900 metric tons
Limited LCAs currently available for utensils, straws, napkins, etc.
Climate and Reuse in C40 Cities
presented by Kathrin Zeller from C40 Cities
C40 Cities = 97 cities = 700 million people
“A global network of mayors taking urgent action to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone can thrive.”
Next frontier for emissions reduction in these cities: consumption-based and material management
