We now know who pollutes the most in this Yvelines town

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It is scientifically established that greenhouse gases (GHG) are the cause of global warming. Also, to limit them, it is good to know what the main sources are. Thanks to a diagnosis carried out as part of the construction of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines) Climate and Energy Action Plan, we now know which sectors are responsible for the main emissions on the municipality. The figures taken into account as part of this work date from 2019.

Mobility on the top step of the podium

In number “One”, far ahead of the others, and without too many surprises knowing that the industrial and agricultural sectors are very little present in the territory, we find mobility. They alone represent 58% of the territory's GHG emissions, shared between road freight (30%) and personal mobility (28%).

This 58% would correspond to 266 kilo tonnes (kt) of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq). “This is equivalent to 266,000 flights round trip Paris-New York for a person,” says the diagnosis.

Energy consumption of buildings

On the second step of the podium, rises the energy consumption buildings with 26% of the territory's GHG emissions with 100 ktCO2eq.

“In 2019, residential energy consumption amounted to 404,710 MWh, this represents the use of 27,000 electric vehicles for one year,” indicates the diagnosis. Heating would represent no less than 60% of this total consumption.

Consumption of goods and food.

Finally, the 3rd and last sector at the origin of the territory's GHG emissions: the consumption of goods and food. They are at the origin of 16% of these, or 75 ktCO2eq.

Saint-Germanois above the French average

This diagnosis tells us two other interesting things. First of all, the average carbon footprint per inhabitant is estimated at 10.3 tonnes CO2eq. The people of Saint-German therefore have a carbon footprint higher than the French average estimated at 8.9 tonnes CO2eq.

Then, that “the forest today represents a carbon sink estimated at 28,500 tonnes CO2eq (without taking into account the impacts of forest fires, decline of the massif, etc.)”.

Once this diagnosis has been established, it therefore appears that the three sectors emitting the most GHGs are “essential for the decarbonization of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to which we can add the construction of buildings and roads by thinking in the longer term. term,” underlines the authors of the diagnosis.

And this is what the municipality of Saint-Germain-en-Laye intends to do. Engaged for several years in sustainable development projects and having signed the mayors' agreement for climate and energy, the City is committed to achieving carbon neutrality to the 2050 horizon.

The City is committed to 2030 and 2050

“The City is going to commit to two deadlines, 2030, because it's not that far away, and 2050. For 2030, we are committed to trying to reach -52% greenhouse gas emissions overall, -25% in energy consumption, and +25% in renewable energy. »

Objective: -88% for GHGs

For 2050, the reduction targets are -88% for GHGs, -49% for energy consumption and +60% for renewable energies.

These figures should be put into perspective with the content of the diagnosis indicating that the share of energy consumption covered by renewable and recovery energies (EnR&R), “is around 5%, distributed essentially between biomass and geothermal energy (2021), this represents 426 tCO2eq. »

Saint-German residents should soon have in hand the Climate Energy Action Plan which details the actions and means that the City intends to deploy to achieve its objectives.

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