DRAFT Climate Action Plan - PMC

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GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY
The baseline greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory
identifies the major sources of GHG emissions within the
City of Sunnyvale and provides a baseline against which
future progress can be measured.
Specifically, this inventory does the following:
Calculates GHGs from community-wide activities in
the calendar year 2008;
Converts activity data into GHG emissions by
activity sector to easily compare the GHG impact
between sectors;
Provides City decision-makers and the community
with adequate information to inform policy
decisions; and
Forecasts how emissions will grow in the
community if no behavioral changes are made.
Inventory Background and Methodology
The starting point of the Climate Action Plan is to measure or inventory Sunnyvale’s
current or baseline levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The City’s GHG inventory is
guided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) California
Environmental Quality Act Air Quality Guidelines, adopted in June 2010 and updated in
October 2011. The guidelines include an appendix entitled ―Recommended Plan-Level
GHG Quantification Guidance.‖ The guidance is recommended for any plan or program
that will be used as a programmatic tiering document under the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) according to BAAQMD’s definition of a Qualified GHG Reduction
Strategy. The guidelines indicate that the following sources are to be included in any
inventory that will be used in a Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy:
Residential energy (natural gas and electricity)
Commercial and industrial energy (natural gas and electricity, including direct
access)
On-road transportation (diesel and gasoline use from on-road vehicles)
Waste (direct landfill emissions, emissions from community waste)
Water (wastewater treatment, energy for filtration and movement)
How is an inventory
different from a carbon
footprint?
A GHG emissions inventory
incorporates GHG
emissions that occur within
the boundaries of a city
based on adopted protocols
and industry standards. The
consistency allows GHG
inventories to be compared
and used in policy
decisions. On the other
hand, a carbon footprint
includes GHG emissions
from the region, and it is
difficult to accurately
estimate the community’s
contribution to the carbon
footprint. Accordingly, a
carbon footprint has limited
value as a basis for policy
decisions.
Draft
Off-road equipment and vehicles (lawn and garden equipment, construction
vehicles and equipment)
Caltrain transit (GHG emissions from the use of Caltrain to and from Sunnyvale)
GREENHOUSE GAS
INVENTORY & FORECAST
CITY OF SUNNYVALE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
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