Português

Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, making them responsible for a significant share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from activities such as transportation, energy consumption, and waste generation and disposal. For the same reason, urban areas are also the most affected by climate change linked to these emissions, with adverse impacts not only on urban infrastructure but especially on the population and their daily activities.

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a foundational tool that helps address this complex challenge facing city management. Its objective was to identify and establish priority measures for reducing GHG emissions, and for mitigation and adaptation—social, economic, environmental, and territorial. The CAP proposes mechanisms and instruments that will support the achievement of established goals, such as reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

The technical cooperation between the City of Porto Alegre and the World Bank was confirmed during the World Climate Conference (COP27). This partnership enabled the hiring of a technical consultancy led by WayCarbon, in consortium with ICLEI South America, Ludovino Lopes Advogados, and Ecofinance Negócios, through a non-reimbursable funding agreement. The final product of this partnership was the CAP.

In Porto Alegre, the first step toward tackling the effects of global warming was the development of the city’s second GHG Emissions Inventory. Based on the study—conducted in partnership with WayCarbon, Ecofinance, and ICLEI — it was identified that Porto Alegre’s total GHG emissions in 2019 amounted to 2.37 million tCO₂e, 67.7% of emissions come from transportation, 23% from stationary energy sources, and 8.8% from waste.

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Timeline

The development of the CAP took place over 18 months, starting in March 2023, and consisted of three phases: Engagement and Mobilization; Diagnosis; and Design of the Plan. Each phase includes related deliverables that, upon completion of this process, will support the voting of the CAP draft bill in the City Council.

Diagnosis

Along with the GHG Emissions Inventory, the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) and the city’s Water Footprint (WF) assessment comprised the diagnostic phase of the CAP’s development. Based on these studies, the CAP proposes mechanisms and tools to enable the implementation of the established targets, such as reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis

The CRVA identified, mapped, quantified, and analyzed the city’s risks and vulnerabilities to climate change. It helped identify six climate hazards for both the historical (1995–2014) and future (2040 and 2050) periods: storms, river flooding, landslides and erosion, meteorological droughts, heatwaves, and the spread of disease vectors.
This assessment was conducted through a participatory process involving a City Hall Working Group, key stakeholders (Academia, CMDUA, COMAM, and other civil society representatives), and the general public.

Water Footprint

This study established an indicator for water use and pollution in Porto Alegre. It evaluated three types of Water Footprint (blue, green, and grey), considering the main processes in the municipality: Agricultural (crop production, pasture, and livestock), Domestic (residential, commercial, and public), and Industrial (manufacturing and mining industries).

CAP's actions

The actions of the Plan were developed through a comprehensive prioritization process, which included diagnostic studies, meetings with municipal departments and key stakeholders, an online public opinion survey, and consultation with national and international climate action plans.
This process resulted in the selection of 30 priority actions, grouped into three strategic axes: Low-Carbon POA, Resilient POA, and Green and Blue POA.
The axes organize the CAP’s actions by theme, but most actions are cross-cutting, including both mitigation and adaptation measures. Therefore, they should be viewed as a cohesive and integrated set aimed at achieving the city’s climate goals.

See the detailed actions in the Final Report, available in the Documents section.

Documents