The city of Durango has released a draft of the Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
The report, developed by the city in partnership with local scientists and Thriving Earth Exchange, presents a snapshot of emissions that occurred in Durango in 2016.
Durango joins hundreds of local governments across the U.S. measuring and reporting on local emissions. The published draft includes an overview of results along with detailed methodology and ideas for how to reduce communitywide greenhouse gas emissions.
The draft inventory measures emissions in five key categories: commercial energy, residential energy, transportation, solid waste and wastewater treatment. The largest emissions sources were commercial and residential energy use and transportation.
Total emissions reported for 2016 are 354,375 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or approximately 19 metric tons per capita. This is equivalent to burning more than 367 million pounds of coal, or the carbon sequestered by 417,072 acres of U.S. forest in one year.
The city will accept comments and suggestions about the draft inventory until Aug. 31, when the report will be finalized.
The report can be found online at www.DurangoGov.org/sustainability.
Questions and comments may be emailed to Imogen Ainsworth at imogen.ainsworth@DurangoGov.org.
