Vancouver completing its first greenhouse gas inventory

Vancouver (Washington, U.S.A.) is collecting its first inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, both for the city government and for the community as a whole.

In taking the inventory of current greenhouse gas emissions, the city is hoping to lead the way – and stay ahead of – new initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Vancouver is spending $US 35,000 to evaluate its current level of greenhouse gas emissions as a first step toward reducing it.  “It’s a spotlight for our community – where we’re good and where we’re bad,” Mayor Royce Pollard has said.  “The city’s going to be held up there as a shining example of the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

The city’s recently hired sustainability coordinator, Mike Piper, hopes the inventory will enable the city to prioritize the most sensible actions to reduce these emissions.

As the state of Washington relies heavily on carbon-free hydroelectricity, transportation is considered to be the likely source of the majority of Vancouver’s emissions.

More and more cities are facing the need to mitigate climate change while already adapting to the changes brought about by climate change.  ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection^® (CCP) Campaign is an innovative international campaign that helps local government and their communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the environment.   And now, the CCP Campaign is launching the Adaptation Initiative, building capacity for climate change impacts at the local level.  For more information, please visit www.iclei.org/ccp.

Vancouver is one of 288 local governments in the U.S.A. that are currently Members of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.  For more information on ICLEI and its activities in the U.S.A., please go to www.iclei.org/usa.

Source:  “Taking stock of emissions – Greenhouse Gas Tally”, The Columbian, 21 December 2007.