How street lighting enters a climate report.
Learning Track · Module 4: Energy and carbon · Step 32 of 101
Showing content for Europe. Change the region at the top of the page.
Street lighting is often one of the largest electricity users that a city controls directly. That makes it a visible part of climate plans.
GHG Protocol scopes
- Scope 2: emissions from the electricity the lights use. Report both location-based (grid average) and market-based (your contract) figures.
- Scope 3: emissions in the luminaires, poles, and transport. Larger in retrofit decisions than many expect.
- Scope 1: fuel for crew vehicles and generators.
Frameworks
Europe: Cities report through the Covenant of Mayors (SECAP), CDP-ICLEI, or national schemes. Companies that run lighting contracts may fall under CSRD and need these figures for their own reports.
Middle East: National net-zero targets (for example UAE 2050 and Saudi Arabia 2060) drive reporting by government entities. Many cities report through CDP-ICLEI.
South Asia: Indian cities report through CDP-ICLEI and the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework under the Smart Cities Mission. Listed companies report under SEBI BRSR.
USA: Cities report through CDP-ICLEI and their own climate action plans. Use eGRID factors. Some states require public agencies to report energy use.
Note
Measured energy from controllers gives a stronger report than estimates from an inventory. Keep the method the same each year.
Sources
- GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance
- Global Covenant of Mayors Common Reporting Framework
- CDP-ICLEI Track
- SEBI Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting
Changes: 30 October 2026: First publication: guides for Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the USA; failure library; tender clause library; comparisons; tools; downloads. See the changelog. Found a mistake? Report it.