Delaware Valley Agency Calculates Greenhouse Gas Emissions For Philadelphia Region

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission completed a new study to measure the Philadelphia region’s greenhouse gas emissions – its carbon footprint. The report, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, is the first step in developing a plan to reduce energy use and the emission of gases that contribute to global climate change.

 

The report is the first of its kind in the nation, where regional emissions have been broken down by county, municipality and energy source. The analysis reports 2005 emissions for the 9-county DVRPC region, which includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in PA; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties in NJ; and each of the region’s 352 municipalities.

 

Among the key findings are:

 

-- Of the 90.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent regional GHG emissions in 2005, 91% of those emissions resulted from energy consumption, including energy used in homes and businesses, and energy used by the transportation sector;

 

-- Emissions per capita are about 16.5 metric tons (36,400 pounds). This is about one third lower than the national average of 24.5 metric tons (54,000 pounds) per capita;

 

-- Regional emissions accounted for about 1.2 percent of national emissions; and • Municipalities within our region with higher density and mixed-use areas produce lower per capita emissions.

 

“The transformation of our economy to one that uses less energy and emits less greenhouse gas is essential, but will require regional cooperation and strong coordination between the states, counties and municipalities,” said DVRPC Executive Director, Barry Seymour. “With the new allocation of federal stimulus money to develop alternative energy projects and encourage energy conservation, this analysis will be a critical resource for future policies and programs.”

 

This report is the first step in DVRPC’s Climate Change Initiatives program area. Climate change and energy concerns are integrated throughout DVRPC activities, including the long-range plan and Transportation Improvement Program, which guide regional investments in transportation.

 

This program will link greenhouse gas reduction and energy conservation to long-standing DVRPC goals, such as brownfield redevelopment, air quality improvement and ozone reduction, and transit-oriented development.

 

The full report is available online.