IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i11p6534-d825104.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Carbon Handprint Approach for Cities and Regions: A Framework to Reveal and Assess the Potential of Cities in Climate Change Mitigation

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Lakanen

    (Department of Sustainability Science, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Heli Kumpulainen

    (LCA Consulting Oy, Laserkatu 6, FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Olli Helppi

    (Department of Sustainability Science, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Kaisa Grönman

    (Department of Sustainability Science, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Risto Soukka

    (Department of Sustainability Science, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland)

Abstract

Cities play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation; however, the methodology to quantify actual emission reduction potential of climate interventions implemented by cities and regions has been lacking. The aim of this study is to create a framework to assess positive climate impacts of cities and regions by modifying the life-cycle assessment (LCA)-based carbon handprint framework. Additionally, a step-by-step guidance to perform calculations is presented. A case study of the Finnish city of Espoo is used to further develop and test the regional handprint approach both qualitatively and quantitatively. According to our research, a city′s carbon handprint can be determined through the three main mechanism categories of ownership, operating environment and projects. In the case of Espoo, the carbon handprint of building public electric vehicle charging stations on city-owned land from the mechanism category of ownership showed to be up to 110 tCO 2 eq/a for 18 charging stations. However, the overall handprint of a city consists of several actions, to be calculated separately. The regional carbon handprint approach provides a useful instrument to reliable quantify and communicate the innovative climate actions implemented by a city and it can be used in cities′ climate work as well as in marketing and branding purposes. Handprint turns the focus on possibilities for increasing a city vitality. As a provider of climate solutions, a city can attract new taxpayers and by focusing efforts to a certain sector, a city can help companies to reach synergies in fields essential from the climate point of view.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Lakanen & Heli Kumpulainen & Olli Helppi & Kaisa Grönman & Risto Soukka, 2022. "Carbon Handprint Approach for Cities and Regions: A Framework to Reveal and Assess the Potential of Cities in Climate Change Mitigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6534-:d:825104
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6534/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6534/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jani Laine & Jukka Heinonen & Seppo Junnila, 2020. "Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Cities Prior to a National Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Kern, Kristine, 2019. "Cities as leaders in EU multilevel climate governance: embedded upscaling of local experiments in Europe," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 28(1), pages 125-145.
    3. Diana Ürge-Vorsatz & Cynthia Rosenzweig & Richard J. Dawson & Roberto Sanchez Rodriguez & Xuemei Bai & Aliyu Salisu Barau & Karen C. Seto & Shobhakar Dhakal, 2018. "Locking in positive climate responses in cities," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 174-177, March.
    4. Cynthia Rosenzweig & William Solecki & Stephen A. Hammer & Shagun Mehrotra, 2010. "Cities lead the way in climate–change action," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7318), pages 909-911, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nkweauseh Reginald Longfor & Jiarong Hu & You Li & Xuepeng Qian & Weisheng Zhou, 2023. "Scientometric Trends and Knowledge Gaps of Zero-Emission Campuses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-24, November.
    2. Silvia Rivas & Ruben Urraca & Paolo Bertoldi, 2022. "Covenant of Mayors 2020 Achievements: A Two-Speed Climate Action Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Miquel Salvador & David Sancho, 2021. "The Role of Local Government in the Drive for Sustainable Development Public Policies. An Analytical Framework Based on Institutional Capacities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    4. Antje Otto & Kristine Kern & Wolfgang Haupt & Peter Eckersley & Annegret H. Thieken, 2021. "Ranking local climate policy: assessing the mitigation and adaptation activities of 104 German cities," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 1-23, July.
    5. Jeroen van der Heijden, 2021. "When opportunity backfires: exploring the implementation of urban climate governance alternatives in three major US cities [Are LEED-Certified Buildings Energy-Efficient in Practice?]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 40(1), pages 116-135.
    6. Kristine Kern & Janne Irmisch & Colette Odermatt & Wolfgang Haupt & Ingrid Kissling-Näf, 2021. "Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development, and Climate Policy: Comparing the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Potsdam and Bern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    7. S. A. Mashi & A. I. Inkani & Oghenejeabor Obaro & A. S. Asanarimam, 2020. "Community perception, response and adaptation strategies towards flood risk in a traditional African city," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(2), pages 1727-1759, September.
    8. Vita, Gibran & Lundström, Johan R. & Hertwich, Edgar G. & Quist, Jaco & Ivanova, Diana & Stadler, Konstantin & Wood, Richard, 2019. "The Environmental Impact of Green Consumption and Sufficiency Lifestyles Scenarios in Europe: Connecting Local Sustainability Visions to Global Consequences," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Liu, Yingying & Chen, Sha & Jiang, Kejun & Kaghembega, Wendkuuni Steve-Harold, 2022. "The gaps and pathways to carbon neutrality for different type cities in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PA).
    10. Irmisch, Janne & Haupt, Wolfgang & Eckersley, Peter & Kern, Kristine & Müller, Hannah, 2022. "Klimapolitische Entwicklungspfade deutscher Groß- und Mittelstädte," IRS Dialog 2/2022, Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS).
    11. Tian, Jing & Andraded, Celio & Lumbreras, Julio & Guan, Dabo & Wang, Fangzhi & Liao, Hua, 2018. "Integrating Sustainability Into City-level CO2 Accounting: Social Consumption Pattern and Income Distribution," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 1-16.
    12. Simone Lucatello & Roberto Sánchez, 2022. "Climate Change in North America: Risks, Impacts, and Adaptation. A Reflection Based on the IPCC Report AR6 - 2022," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 17(4), pages 1-18, Octubre -.
    13. Cheng Zhou & Ruilian Zhang & Julia Loginova & Vigya Sharma & Zhonghua Zhang & Zaijian Qian, 2022. "Institutional Logic of Carbon Neutrality Policies in China: What Can We Learn?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-16, June.
    14. Ekaterina Domorenok & Giuseppe Acconcia & Lena Bendlin & Xira Ruiz Campillo, 2020. "Experiments in EU Climate Governance: The Unfulfilled Potential of the Covenant of Mayors," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(4), pages 122-142, Autumn.
    15. Roberto Barraza & Gilberto Velazquez-Angulo & Edith Flores-Tavizón & Jaime Romero-González & José Ignacio Huertas-Cardozo, 2016. "The Role of Science in Advising the Decision Making Process: A Pathway for Building Effective Climate Change Mitigation Policies in Mexico at the Local Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-12, April.
    16. Chang Zhao & Bing Wang, 2021. "Does China’s Low-Carbon Pilot Policy Promote Foreign Direct Investment? An Empirical Study Based on City-Level Panel Data of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.
    17. Delali B. K. Dovie & Mawuli Dzodzomenyo & Daniel E. Dodor & Antwi-Boasiako Amoah & Daniel K. Twerefou & Samuel N. A. Codjoe & Raymond A. Kasei, 2020. "Multi-Vector Approach to Cities’ Transition to Low-Carbon Emission Developments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-14, July.
    18. Casiano Flores, Cesar & Tan, Evrim & Crompvoets, Joep, 2021. "Governance assessment of UAV implementation in Kenyan land administration system," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    19. Chris J. Barton & Qingqing Wang & Derrick M. Anderson & Drew A. Callow, 2021. "Synchronizing the Logic of Inquiry with the Logic of Action: The Case of Urban Climate Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    20. Ismaila Rimi Abubakar & Umar Lawal Dano, 2020. "Sustainable urban planning strategies for mitigating climate change in Saudi Arabia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 5129-5152, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6534-:d:825104. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.