Another year on the road to climate neutrality in Krakow
In connection with our city’s accession to the Cities Race to Zero campaign and to the Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy*, Krakow has been reporting on climate change adaptation and mitigation activities through the CDP-ICLEI since 2022.
The CDP is a non-profit charitable organization that operates a global system for collecting and publishing data on the environmental impact of investors, companies, cities and regions. It is considered one of the world’s most reliable ranking organizations on the subject. Since 2002, more than 9,000 companies have disclosed their environmental impact through it. Krakow is one of the first Polish cities to join the initiative.
The second report, compiled on the basis of data provided by Krakow, was received in November this year. We scored positively in five out of the six categories adopted in the methodology: adaptation planning and action, setting climate change targets, estimating climate risks and hazards, and emissions inventories. As a result, Krakow received an overall grade of B (on a scale of A to D, with A being the highest) for its progress toward climate neutrality.
The only field identified in the report for improvement is mitigation plans, i.e., for reducing the negative effects of climate change.
The advantage of making information available within the framework of the CDP is building the credibility and position of our city on national and international arenas, as well as locally, as the transparency of planned and implemented activities increases the conviction among residents that Krakow on its path towards climate neutrality has not found itself in a leadership position by accident and will consistently follow this track in the years to come as well.
* The Covenant of Mayors is a grassroots initiative of European cities and municipalities that have decided to voluntarily conduct activities in support of the EU’s climate and energy policy, in accordance with the guidelines of the Paris Agreement.
The Covenant aims to reduce local CO2 emissions by:
- increasing energy efficiency,
- better use of renewable energy,
- reducing the scale of energy poverty,
- improving urban resilience to the negative effects of climate change.
The first edition of the Covenant was implemented from 2008 to 2015. Its signatories included more than 6,000 local governments, representing a total population of more than 200 million in Europe. By joining the Agreement, signatories pledged to reduce CO2 by at least 20% by 2020. In 2015, the Covenant of Mayors, responding to the continuing challenges of climate change, adopted a new target in the area of emission reductions: at least 40% by 2030.
By Resolution No. LXXXVII/2430/22 of the Krakow City Council of 8 June 2022, the Mayor of the City of Krakow joined the Covenant of Mayors, declaring the development of a local climate pact and the involvement of all entities to help achieve the goal.
The Covenant’s vision is that by 2050 we will live in decarbonized cities, with access to affordable, safe and sustainable energy.
