Análisis de equivalencias en el consumo y generación de gases de efecto invernadero: Un enfoque integrado para la mitigación del cambio climático, en la Unidad Nacional de Protección.

Abstract

Climate Change is a global challenge driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from human activities. The National Protection Unit (UNP), responsible for safeguarding individuals at risk, generates significant emissions due to its energy consumption in sectors such as transportation and infrastructure. Despite its social mission, it is crucial for the UNP to adopt sustainable practices to reduce its carbon footprint and align with national and international climate commitments. This analysis seeks to identify mitigation opportunities, providing tools and guidelines for a sustainable transition, with the goal of turning the UNP into a replicable model for other public institutions. Climate change is a key challenge of the 21st century, driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) caused by population growth and energy consumption. The lack of standardized tools makes it difficult to measure and compare emissions, limiting the development of effective policies. This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework to assess the relationship between consumption and GHG generation, identifying critical areas for intervention. In Colombia, IDEAM leads the National Inventory of GHG Emissions and Removals, while Law 1931 of 2018 establishes guidelines for climate change mitigation. In Bogotá, transportation is the largest source of emissions (48%), followed by energy consumption (33%) and waste (19%). The city aims to reduce its emissions by 15% by 2024 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This thesis analyzes the environmental impact of the activities carried out by the National Protection Unit (UNP) at its Bogotá headquarters, focusing on the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) derived from the consumption of resources such as water, electricity, paper, vehicle fuels, and waste management. Despite having a predominantly social mission, the UNP generates a considerable ecological footprint, particularly due to the intensive use of armored vehicles and high energy consumption in its facilities. The study proposes a quantitative methodology, based on internationally recognized emission factors, that makes it possible to calculate the equivalencies between institutional consumption and GHG emissions expressed in CO₂ equivalent. Data collection focused on the year 2024 and covered multiple operational aspects of the entity. High levels of resource consumption, significant generation of both recyclable and hazardous waste, and a low paper recycling rate were observed, highlighting an important area for improvement. The results revealed that the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions at the UNP Bogotá headquarters come from the use of its vehicle fleet, electricity consumption, potable water, paper use, and waste generation. The fleet consists of more than 110 vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, and motorcycles, used daily for protection operations. Many of these are armored, which increases fuel consumption. With estimated annual mileage between 10,000 and 18,000 km per vehicle, fuel consumption was found to be substantial, making transportation one of the largest CO₂ equivalent emitters. In terms of resources, the UNP reported a water consumption of 12,012 m³ and energy consumption of 20,000 kWh during 2024. Paper use reached 4,766 reams, while waste generation exceeded 20 tons, including recyclable waste and more than 2 tons of hazardous waste. However, recycling of paper and other materials remains limited compared to the total volume generated. When processed using standardized emission factors, these data allowed for an accurate calculation of the institution’s environmental impact and underscored the urgency of implementing sustainable measures to reduce its carbon footprint.