Greenhouse Gas Inventories

As our Climate Action Plan explains, Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a family of gases that warm the Earth’s atmosphere by trapping heat. The most common GHGs are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Anthropogenic GHGs, or GHGs originating from human activity, are the primary driver of climate change. For this reason, reducing anthropogenic GHG emissions is crucial to mitigating further climate change.

A GHG Inventory is a list of GHG emission sources and the resulting emissions. GHG emissions are organized into three categories:

Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the City.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions associated with purchasing utilities.
Scope 3: Indirect emissions emitted from assets not owned or controlled by the City.

These inventory reports provide a picture of GHG emissions within our geographic boundary and help us prioritize action on the CAP’s suggested strategies based on sector areas showing the greatest level of emissions. They will also help us track mitigation progress as we move through CAP strategy implementation and will inform future sustainability work and plans.

Select the GHG Inventory, listed by data year, on the side bar to view the inventory summary and associated reports.