Sustainability
Climate Change and Sustainability Initiative
| GHG
Inventory |
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| Municipal Emissions | |
| Baseline Inventory | |
| In the base year of 2006, Skagit Countys municipal operations generated 11,512 tons of CO2e. Figure 1 shows the breakdown of municipal operations emissions by source type. | |
| Emissions Forecast | |
| The 2015 and 2050 emissions forecasts represent a business-as-usual prediction of how greenhouse gas emissions may change in the future. Emissions from Skagit County municipal operations are projected to increase approximately 20% from 2006 levels by 2015 and 148% from 2006 levels by 2050. | |
| Community Emissions | |
| Baseline Inventory | |
| In the base year 2006, the Skagit County community emitted approximately 1,690,664 tons of CO2e. Transportation was the largest contributor to overall community emissions in 2006. The source of these emissions is from the direct combustion of gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel fuels. | |
| Emissions Forecast | |
| Emissions from the Skagit County community are projected to increase approximately 5% from 2006 levels by 2015 and 40% from 2006 levels by 2050. | |
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GHG Emission Reduction Goals |
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Prior to inventorying operational and regional GHG emissions, the Board of County Commissioners had already adopted regional GHG reduction goals consistent with internationally-recognized climate science for global emissions reductions, and with the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Initiative: Skagit County commits toreduce regional GHG emissions to 80% below 2000 levels by 2050with recommended goals to stop increasing emissions by 2010, and to achieve a 10 percent reduction every five years thereafter through to 2050. Such a substantial reduction may seem insurmountable and immeasurable. An interim reduction target provides a tangible goal for Skagit Countys emissions reduction efforts, while being both aggressive and achievable given local circumstances. Having now completed operational and regional GHG inventories and projected business-as-usual GHG emissions for the forecast year of 2020, the Board of County Commissioners hereby adopts the following GHG reduction targets for county operations and Skagit County as a region.
Figure 2 : GHG reduction goals for operations and region (tons CO2e). For more information visit the Climate Action Plan Page. |
