City releases 2023 Greenhouse Gas Inventory
September 27, 2024
Steady progress on municipal emissions, but significant community-wide reductions still needed
The City of Vancouver has released its 2023 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, measuring both the total carbon emissions generated by municipal City operations/processes and citywide. The inventory measures the City’s progress toward meeting its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by both municipal operations and the Vancouver community by 2040.
“City Council set ambitious climate goals in December 2022 to reduce our community’s contribution to global climate change,” said Stacey Dalgaard, associate climate project coordinator. “Teams across the city have been prioritizing climate action and taking quick action wherever that is possible – and we’re seeing the benefits of that work already showing up in the 2023 inventory – after just one year of work under the Climate Action Framework.”
While the report shows steady progress in reducing emissions from municipal operations, it also highlights the need for more action to meet interim reduction targets and continue to drive down emissions even as Vancouver’s population and economy grows.
The municipal inventory shows that the City has reduced emissions from its operations by 54 percent since 2007, representing approximately one percent of all community-wide emissions. This progress is largely due to reductions in energy use in City buildings, improvements in water and wastewater treatment processes and transitioning the City’s diesel fleet vehicles and equipment to renewable fuel options.
To meet the City’s interim target of an 80 percent reduction in municipal emissions by 2025, an additional reduction of 10,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent is required. Planned capital projects, especially in City buildings and water treatment, are expected to help achieve these reductions, though the impacts will likely not be fully realized by 2025 due to infrastructure planning and construction timelines.
On a broader scale, the community-wide inventory shows that emissions across Vancouver have continued to decline, achieving a 27 percent reduction since 2007. This progress is largely driven by cleaner electricity sources, more efficient appliances and vehicles, and shifts in transportation patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the city grows and temperatures rise due to climate change, emissions from the transportation and building sectors remain a significant challenge that requires further intervention.
This 2023 GHG Inventory provides the first comprehensive assessment of the City’s climate action efforts and will help guide the development of the 2026 update to Vancouver’s Climate Action Framework, ensuring that the most successful strategies are prioritized moving forward.
Read the 2023 GHG Inventory Report.
Media contact: Stacey Dalgaard, Associate Climate Project Coordinator, 360-947-6503, stacey.dalgaard@cityofvancouver.us
