Title
2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Action Plan Update
Description
This report presents the results of the City of Phoenix 2020 Local Government Operations Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Report and the 2020 Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report (Reports) as well as an updated status on actions to address climate. The GHG Reports update the City's 2018 Local Government Operations GHG Inventory and 2018 Community-Scale GHG Inventory reports. The Reports present the status of the City's progress toward meeting its current greenhouse gas reduction targets for government operations of 40 percent by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030 for Community-Scale.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity have increased dramatically over the past century and a half. These emissions, primarily resulting from burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation, are accelerating climate change. The City's 2021 Climate Action Plan, approved by City Council, reaffirms a long-term goal of becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2050, with interim goals along the way.
2020 Local Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
In 2016, the City Council adopted a goal to reduce GHG emissions from City operations to 40 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025 after achieving previous emissions reductions goals. Since 2012, the Office of Environmental Programs (OEP) has been authorized by the City Council to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Arizona State University (ASU) for consulting services to calculate GHG emissions inventories and check on the progress to the 2025 goal. The results show that in 2020, GHG emissions from City operations were 25.2 percent lower than 2005 levels.
The most significant City operations GHG reduction programs included:
- Savings from energy efficiency projects completed by facilities management;
- Additional solar power projects;
- Use of alternative fuels decreased the impact of the increase of Public Transit service miles in fulfillment of T2050;
- Continued construction of PHX Sky Train;
- Capture and reuse of biogas at 91st Ave Wastewater Treatment Plant;
- Increased waste diversion rates, including construction of 27th Compost Facility; and
- Increased implementation of the telework program.
The decrease in emissions can also be attributed to efforts by Salt River Project (SRP) and Arizona Public Service (APS) to reduce GHG emissions by using decreased carbon energy sources to produce power that has lowered the GHG intensity of the electricity the City purchases.
2020 Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
A community-scale GHG emissions inventory was completed for 2020 as an update to the 2012, 2016 and 2018 inventories. The results show that in 2020, GHG emissions on a community-scale were 14 percent lower than 2012 levels. GHG emissions decreased during a period where the City’s population grew 12 percent and the metro area economy grew 42 percent. Per capita emissions fell from the 2012 baseline of 11.8 Metric Tons (MT) Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Emissions (CO2e) to 9.0 MT CO2e in 2020.
The community-scale inventories are categorized into stationary energy, transportation, and waste sectors. Since 2012, the following GHG emissions decreases resulted in:
- A 21.5 percent decrease in the stationary energy sector due to a less GHG intensive electrical grid;
- A 4.6 percent decrease in transportation sector was observed due to decreased commuting and travel, including air travel, caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time there was a marked increase in heavy truck delivery services; and
- A 21.8 percent decrease in the waste sector due to advanced methane capture systems and older landfills emitting less methane, along with capture and reuse of biogas at the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The actions are part of an overall strategy to reduce GHG emissions in the City. City staff completed a C40-compliant Climate Action Plan that provided a higher level of detail and scope for reducing GHG emissions that was approved by City Council on Oct. 12, 2021. Staff from all City departments were involved in the development of this plan and expect to begin work on updating this plan for Council for approval in fall 2023.
Attachments A, B and C provided are the reports prepared by the OEP in conjunction with ASU Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiative.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Office of Environmental Programs.