Regional Dashboard
Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions
photo: kerrysniderphotography.com
What is the measure?
Per capita daily greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), measured in
pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
How are we doing?
A comprehensive updated County-wide inventory of GHG
emissions has not been available since 2008, but that report showed the County’s
per capita emissions being nearly 15% below the state average. Significant
progress has been made locally to inventory and reduce emissions at
jurisdictional levels (see jurisdictional charts). It is important to note that emissions vary among
jurisdictions due to factors such as the number or types of local businesses,
microclimates, the age of the building stock, and presence of municipal
facilities such as wastewater treatment plants. Proactive climate change adaptation today, such as designing
and investing in needed infrastructure, can
ultimately cost less than addressing a crisis situation 20 years from
today.
Why is it important?
- Climate change can threaten San Diego’s quality of life by causing longer and more frequent droughts, reducing water supplies, increasing wildfire risk, causing loss of coastal lands and beaches, and increasing the public health threat of extreme temperature events.
- Reducing GHGs can translate into savings in energy, water and transportation costs, as well as overall improvements in air quality and public health.
- Taking a leadership role in addressing climate change will help the region attract and retain innovative businesses and a high-quality workforce.
- The California Cap and Trade Program is expected to launch in 2013, helping the state reach its goal of reducing GHG emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. This will likely benefit jurisdictions and companies ahead of the curve on GHG reductions and be costly to those slower to act.
How can we improve?
Policy options:
In addition to options suggested under Water Consumption,
Energy, Transportation, and other related indicators, the following actions
will help reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of the region:
- Support installation of low-carbon fuelling infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations, and increase use of alternative fuel and electronic vehicles in municipal vehicle fleets.
- Consider establishing regional zero net energy building standards, expedited permitting, or the creation of “High Performance Building Districts” like Seattle’s, which help building owners and developers find innovative financing, share tools and best practices, and create joint educational opportunities to decrease their buildings' energy consumption and operating expenses.
- Integrate the life-cycle costs of energy, water, and GHGs in supply-chain purchasing guidelines.
- Use provisions in the recently passed “Cap and Trade” climate change legislation to package regional GHG emissions reductions implemented by businesses, citizens and governments into marketable GHG reduction credits that can be sold in the market to benefit both the environment and our economy.
- Incorporate existing data on projected climate change impacts into local plan updates or climate action plans to ensure our communities’ health, environment, and economy are more resilient to the likely changes in our region.