GHG Balance

The Green House Gases Balance (GHG) provides a transparent, scientifically robust picture of each island’s GHG emissions and uptake. It establishes the baseline from which climate neutrality strategies are designed.

The GHG Balance is a core component of the CO2 PACMAN Assessment Phase.

Developed according to the IPCC 2006 Guidelines and the 2019 Refinement, it quantifies all major sources of anthropogenic emissions and uptake on each pilot island. This baseline enables evidence based decision making, supports scenario modelling, and feeds directly into the CO2 PACMAN Tool.

By integrating data from energy, mobility, waste, land use, and agriculture, the GHG Balance provides the scientific foundation needed to identify emission hotspots, prioritise mitigation actions, and track progress over time.

Objectives

• Establish a Verified Emissions Baseline - Calculate island-specific emissions and removals using IPCC-compliant methodologies.
• Support Evidence-Based Planning - Provide the analytical basis for developing climate neutrality scenarios and transition roadmaps.
• Inform the CO2 PACMAN Tool - Supply the baseline data used for scenario simulation and sectoral comparisons.
• Enable Monitoring Over Time - Ensure traceability and comparability, supporting future updates and long-term planning.

What the GHG Balance Measures

The assessment includes all major emission and uptake categories defined by IPCC:

• Energy (stationary & mobile)
• Transport
• Waste
• Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU)
• Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU)
• Natural uptake (forests, soils, etc.)

Outputs

Each island receives:

✔ A complete IPCC aligned GHG Inventory
A quantified baseline of emissions and removals.

✔ Sector specific emission profiles
Clear visualisation of which activities contribute most to the GHG emissions.

✔ Validated datasets for modelling
Used by the CO2 PACMAN Tool for scenario simulations.

✔ A foundation for planning
Provides the baseline for mitigation strategies.