Performance Measures
Climate Response
About this measure: This performance measure addresses the degree that King County achieves its climate response objectives related to:
- Mitigating (reducing) greenhouse gas emissions
- Sequestering carbon, and
- Climate change impacts preparedness (adaptation).
In 2003, King County Government operations created about 420,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2e) annually, or about 2% of the King County region's emissions. These operational emissions were equal to the annual emissions of about 105,000 U.S. vehicles. Production of greenhouse gases (primarily methane) from landfills and wastewater treatment was the dominant source of emissions, with transportation, especially from transit busses, a close second. Electricity usage for operations was the third most important source of emissions, accounting for about 15% of the total.
Performance Targets: King County's climate response targets are articulated in the 2008 King County Comprehensive Plan and the 2007 Climate Plan. Primary goals as defined in the Comprehensive Plan are to:
- Reduce all King County government greenhouse gas emissions to 6% below 2000 levels by 2010
- Collaborate with other local governments, businesses, and residents in the region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the region to 80 percent below 2007 levels by 2050
In addition to these emissions mitigation targets, the Comprehensive Plan articulates ways that King County should be a leader in promoting carbon sequestration as well as climate change impacts preparedness.
Status: As a member in the Chicago Climate Exchange, King County has legal and fiscal commitments to reduce its direct greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline, diesel, heating oil, natural gas, and steam usage. For 2007, the emissions reduction target was 1.5% below 2000 levels; emissions were reduced by more than 5% below 2000 levels. In 2008, emissions rose to 1.3% above the 2000 baseline, slightly more than the 3% reduction goal.
For an analysis of the region's performance status to reach the overall reduction goal of 80% below 2007 levels by 2050, see the Atmosphere section of KingStat's Environmental Indicators.
Influencing Factors: The key factors that influence King County's ability to meeting climate response targets are:
- future price of energy
- cost and adoption rate of conservation and renewable energy technologies
- leadership and operational level commitments to emissions reduction
- policy development, accounting advancements, and staff training
- science to inform and optimize carbon sequestration and adaptation strategies
- technologies to measure and improve actions that prepare King County lands for unavoidable impacts of climate variability
Existing Response for 2008 and Priority New Actions for 2009 The 2008 Annual Climate Report, published in February 2009. This seven page report concisely summarizes key efforts to reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for expected climate impacts.
Technical Notes
For definitions and more detail.
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