How has our carbon footprint evolved? The base year for the AMB’s Carbon Management Strategy was 2011. In 2013, the departments within the Strategy’s initial scope implementing reduction measures (AMB’s Waste, Water and Central Services) had already achieved an 18.9% reduction. In 2011, with the creation of the AMB, the Strategy of the Transport, Land and Housing Departments was incorporated. In 2013, at the midpoint of the Strategy, the bases were set for calculating the carbon footprint annually. With the current scope, an overall reduction of 2.4% was achieved, with work continuing to implement reduction measures in all areas.
2011-2015
Scope of the Carbon Management Strategy
The AMB reduces emissions
Water supply. 9 head offices: Laboratory, Aigües de Barcelona, AICSA, Aigües de Catalunya, APSA, AQUALIA, CASSA, SABEMSA, SOREA. Water treatment. 7 treatment plants of the Metropolitan Water Cycle Management Company: Begues, Besòs, Gavà, Montcada, Prat del Llobregat, Sant Feliu, Vallvidrera. Land management. Management and maintenance of parks (outstanding places, Besòs, Llobregat), beach maintenance and cleaning, cleaning and conservation of the River Llobregat, management, road maintenance and conservation. Mobility and transport. Metropolitan Taxi Institute and 9 bus companies for public passenger transport: Authosa, BCN City Tour, Mohn, Oliveras, SGMT, Rosanbus, Soleri Sauret, TCC, TUSGAL. Waste management and treatment. Closure of the Garraf landfill site (UTE Biogàs, TIRSSA), Energy assessment plant (TERSA), Molins recycling plant (VALORIZA), Gavà recycling plant (SIRESA), Viladecans transfer plant (TIRSSA), Sant Cugat compost plant (TMA), Torrelles compost plant (Metrocompost) and sludge treatment plant (Metrofang), local management of waste dumps (SIRESA), 4 Eco-parks (Barcelona, Besòs, Mediterrani and Can Mata), management of the ‘Good As New’ Repair Centre.
Do you want to know how?
Evolution of the AMB’s carbon footprint. 2011-2015 1,200,000
1,095,517
1,000,000
1,045,9678
Carbon Management Strategy of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area
1,069,004
800,000 600,000
CO2 tonnes/year
400,000
We reassert our commitment in the following ways:
200,000 0
2011 Base year Start of calculations.
2012 Measures start to give results. The reduction begins.
2013 Midpoint of the strategy. Reduction of 2.4%.
2014 Implementation of new reduction measures.
2015 End of the strategy. Review and renew commitments to reduction
Emissions reductions in line with the Voluntary Agreement Programme of the Catalan Climate Change Office (OCCC)
PSAMB
Offsetting emissions of the Metropolitan Education Programme for Sustainability
WASTE
Offsetting emissions generated by offices and environmental seminars
MOBILITY
- Metropolitan Taxi Institute (IMT) - Public passenger transport companies: 9
Certification of the AMB’s carbon footprint (ISO 14064) SIGQMA certification (ISO 14001 and 9001)
www.amb.cat/mediambient
- Garraf landfill site closed - Energy assessment plant - Recycling plants 2 - Transfer plant 1 - Compost plant 2 - Eco-parks 4 - Local waste dump management 12
LAND MANAGEMENT
www.amb.cat/mediambient
- ROAD maintenance and conservation. - Maintenance and management of PARKS - BEACH maintenance and cleaning - Cleaning RIVERS
WATER
- Water supply companies 8 - Waste waster treatment plants 7
INSTITUTIONAL HEAD OFFICES - AMB Head Office - AMB Laboratory
From commitment to action… The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon of the Earth caused by gasses present in the atmosphere (mainly water vapour and carbon dioxide). Due to this effect, the average air temperature on the planet is 15ºC, making it suitable for human life. The current problem is that the amount of these greenhouse gases (GHG) has risen due to the emission of gases not naturally present in the atmosphere. This change threatens the composition, recovery capacity and productivity of natural ecosystems, as well as mankind’s social and economic development, health and welfare. CO2 is the atmospheric gas that makes the greatest contribution to climate change (55%).
OXYGEN
What results did we achieve in 2013? Proposals for reduction measures
PLAN
Comunication
Implementation of ACT reduction measures and initiatives Method and CHECK carbon footprint audit
CARBON
Data gathering
DO Calculation of the carbon footprint
Monitoring reduction targets
OXYGEN
Offices 0,05%*
LCommitted to a more sustainable future, the AMB has implemented a Carbon Management Strategy. This tool is designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and it forms part of the AMB’s Sustainability Plan (PSAMB) as a key feature of the ‘Energy and Climate Change’ section. The objective of this strategy is to reduce GHG emissions by 10% by the end of 2015, thereby helping to slow down the effects of climate change and promoting active emission reduction policies in the following ways: • Creating tools for calculating carbon footprints (GHG emissions). • Public commitment to reducing GHG emissions and monitoring progress with all AMB offices signing up to the Voluntary Agreement Programme of the Catalan Climate Change Office. • Offsetting emissions generated by environmental seminars conducted and the Metropolitan Education Programme for Sustainability (PITES).
Land 1%* Mobility14% Water 12% Waste 73%
Our reduction measures
Other measures
At the AMB, we have set a target of a 10% reduction in the carbon footprint by the end of 2015 through the adoption of specific measures in different areas.
• Introducing carbon reduction criteria for contracting: Environmental plan for the technical terms and conditions in contracts with the AMB.
Energy
• Staff training in environmental management and the application of good practices.
• Reduction of energy consumption of electricity and fuels. • Incorporation and use of more efficient technologies. • Implementation of renewable energies. • Making our fleet of vehicles greener by replacing fossil fuels for more environmentally friendly alternatives (electric vehicles, natural gas and electric-diesel hybrids, etc.).
Water: supply and treatment • Reduction of energy consumption involved in water treatment, improving the cleaning of sand filters and replacing pumping systems for more efficient alternatives. • Improvements in treatment processes at waste water treatment plants (reactives, transport, sludge treatment, etc.).
Waste • Improving waste sorting (organic waste, packaging, etc.). • Improving treatment processes in waste treatment plants. • Prioritizing material and energy assessment over controlled landfill, increasing treatment at Eco-parks (TMB). • Reduction and reuse of waste from the waste treatment plants (CDR).
Mobilitat *The land management and AMB office footprint is negligible with respect to the total.
The AMB’s management departments make different contributions to the carbon footprint. As the graph shows, municipal waste management and treatment make the greatest contribution to overall GHG emissions (around 73%).
• Reducció del nombre de vehicles motoritzats. • Potenciació d’un transvasament modal en favor del transport públic. • Incentiu dels sistemes per compartir cotxe (carpooling, carsharing).
Monitoring In order to improve the standard of the data and annual carbon footprint calculations, in 2014, we introduced a set of measures within the framework of the Strategy: 1. Annual calculation of the carbon footprint and posting summary sheets on the AMB website. 2. Annual monitoring of progress with respect to reduction targets set for 2015 for companies and facilities. 3. Carbon footprint audit by an accredited organization. 4. Setting new targets for the period 2016-2020. 5. Integration of the Carbon Management Plan within the AMB’s Comprehensive Quality and Environmental Management System (SIGQMA). 6. Offsetting GHG emissions generated by metropolitan environmental seminars conducted and the Metropolitan Education Programme for Sustainability (PMES). In 2014, the first audit of the Carbon Management Strategy was conducted. The TÜV certification body audited 23 centres and facilities in situ out of a total of 52 covered by the Strategy, representing 86% of the verified footprint in terms of equivalent CO2.
2015 Monitoring reduction targets Definition of reduction measures
Calculation and reduction of the carbon footprint
CO2
-10%