Climate actions portfolio and emissions data inventory
Climate Budget Training Course: Module 3
This module focuses on building a robust climate actions portfolio grounded in existing strategies and supported by credible emissions data with an example from a national level climate inventory from Denmark. Participants learn how emissions baselines and action-level calculations are developed, including data sources and emissions factors, and how challenges are addressed in practice, with examples from Östersund, Riga and Bytom.
Recording of the training
Overview of the Module 3 presentations
Module 3 focused on how cities can build climate action portfolios based on reliable emissions data and existing climate strategies. The training explored how emissions baselines, business-as-usual scenarios, and action-level calculations are developed in practice, while also addressing methodological and data-related challenges. Anders Richter Lindén from Viegand Maagøe introduced Denmark’s Municipal Climate Inventory, a digital service that helps municipalities calculate and analyze energy consumption and CO₂ emissions across sectors. The presentation highlighted the importance of shared methodologies, transparency, recurring updates, and collaboration between municipalities. One of the key messages was that cities should not wait for a “perfect model,” but instead develop practical and usable systems that can improve over time.
Practical examples from Aarhus, Östersund, Riga, and Bytom demonstrated how emissions data can support local climate action planning. Mads Bæk Pedersen from Aarhus explained how emissions inventories and business-as-usual scenarios are used as calculation tools for assessing climate mitigation actions and presenting emissions reduction results. The city has gathered data and climate action calculations into the Climate-4-CAST tool to support decision-making and transparency. In Östersund, Rasmus Vermum presented an analysis of municipal parking measures using detailed parking and vehicle data to understand behavioural impacts related to transport and parking patterns.
Krista Pētersone presented Riga’s climate goals and discussed the importance of cooperation with external stakeholders, particularly because municipal infrastructure accounts for only a small share of the city’s total emissions. The presentation also addressed investments in renewable energy, rooftop solar power, and district heating development. Robert Białas from Bytom introduced the city’s Carbon Asset and Sequestration Audit, which examined the climate value of forests, wetlands, soils, and post-industrial green areas. The case emphasized that natural carbon storage should be treated as a strategic asset within urban planning and climate policy, while also underlining that carbon sequestration alone cannot replace the need for direct emissions reductions.