The City of Burlington followed the International Local Government Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Analysis Protocol developed by ICLEI to produce its 2007 GHG Emissions Inventory. Using this protocol will allow the City to be consistent in its inventory over time, which will in turn allow better tracking of our progress towards reaching the City’s reduction goals.
The Burlington 2007 GHG emissions inventory serves as a “snapshot” of the emissions generated in our community and municipal operations. It identifies the major sources and quantity of GHG emissions produced by city government operations, as well as residents, businesses, and public institutions.
City Government - 23,285 tons of CO2 equivalent
Community - 432,423 tons of CO2 equivalent
City Government Operations Inventory
In 2007, City government operations generated approximately 23,285 tons of CO2 equivalent. A breakdown of quantified sectors is shown in the graph below. Airport facilities generated the highest percentage of emissions with about 38%, followed by all other city buildings with 21.3%. With over 5 millions miles driven every year, employees commuting generated 13.7% of the City’s emissions. All other sectors of activities aggregated together generate the other 30% or so of the City operations’ emissions. These results show that by improving the energy efficiency of City-owned buildings and encouraging City workers to use alternative ways of commuting to work, the City can have a strong impact on reducing the GHG emissions it generates every year. These types of initiatives would also have a direct impact on costs/savings both for the City and for its employees themselves.
Figure: City Government GHG Emissions by Sector (2007)
Community-Wide Inventory
The graph below shows the GHG emissions generated by the City of Burlington as a whole, with a total of 432,423 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2007. Of that total, 39% was generated by the transportation sector indicating that a reduction in annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by Burlington’s residents could have the biggest impact on helping the city meet its emissions reduction target for 2020 and 2050.
Figure: Community-Wide GHG Emissions by Sector (2007)
The City of Burlington spent over $5 million on energy for municipal operations in 2007, including electricity and natural gas consumption, and fuel for its vehicle fleet. Measures taken to increase energy efficiency within City operations will have a measurable impact on these emissions and a clear cost savings benefit. The City can also promote and legislate incentives to encourage community-wide programs to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Technology provides many opportunities to increase electrical, heating, and transportation efficiency. Policies can shift energy sources towards cleaner burning fuels and renewable energy.
Behavior changes such as reducing vehicle use, material purchasing, and waste disposal can also be instituted to reach the City’s emission reduction goal. Education and outreach are low cost methods to conserve energy. These are actions that Burlington can take immediately. We can seek other opportunities that are cost-effective, efficient, and reduce emissions.