Determining the carbon footprint caused by managing green spaces in the city of Tandil, Argentina

Abstract

Cities produce a diversity of waste, such as organic waste, which, when poorly managed, can generate Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GGE) that contribute to global climate change. The maintenance activities of public green spaces (GS) and private gardens in 2019 were considered in Tandil, an average city of 150,000 inhabitants located in the SE of the province of Buenos Aires, and the contributions of direct and indirect GGE from this waste were determined. The PAS 2050 methodology, used internationally for GGE certification purposes in the context of the Life Cycle of products and services, was used to account for the emissions. The equivalent emissions in tons of carbon were obtained from data related to the generation, composition, and treatment of this waste in the public and private spheres. Surveys were applied to private service providers and interviews with the ​​management of green spaces in the municipality. As a result, a carbon footprint of green spaces and garden management of 425.28 TCO2 was obtained. The highest percentage of these emissions corresponds to indirect emissions associated with transporting and operating pruning machinery (diesel and gasoline). This is followed by emissions associated with irrigation by pumping water from the underground aquifer that is transported to its destination by truck. And in third place, there are the direct contributions of pruning and maintenance residues - grass clippings, leaves, branches, and shrubs