8 December 2014: The World Resources Institute (WRI), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group have created a standard for cities to measure and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The organizations launched the ‘Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC)’ at a side event at the Lima Climate Change Conference.

Cities are critical in turning the tide against climate change, WRI President Andrew Steer stressed at the launch. He said the GPC offers a “common international standard to inform strategies to cut emissions and create better, more livable cities.” According to Michael Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and C40 Board Chair, the GPC will “help cities see what climate strategies are working, better target their resources and hold themselves accountable for results.”

Over 100 cities, including cities in Brazil, China, India, New Zealand and South Africa, are already using the beta version of the GPC, which allows them to create scientifically-sound emissions baselines, build a GHG inventory, set mitigation goals and track progress.

The GPC is integrated with the global Compact of Mayors, under which local governments committed to reducing GHG emissions. The GPC has been designed so that cities can use it to report emissions through the carbonn Climate Registry (cCR), which is the Compact’s designated registry.

The partners involved in the project plan to hold workshops for staff in cities planning to use the GPC. Workshops will address how to use the GPC most effectively in support of climate change goals.

The three-year development process, which followed the GHG Protocol standard development process, was supported by the World Bank, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 35 pilot cities, over 200 stakeholders and 29 advisory committee members. [WRI Press Release] [WRI Event Announcement] [ICLEI Press Release] [C40 Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [IISD RS ENBOTS Video Coverage of Side Event]