Los Angeles and Other Cities To Report GHG Emissions
The Southern California Mazda Blog reports that Los Angeles, Portland and Denver are among a list of United States cities that have decided to voluntarily report on their greenhouse gas emissions which includes of course, emissions from cars.
Car Smogged Los Angeles
These U.S. cities have resolved to work with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The Carbon Disclosure Project is an independent and nonprofit that collects climate change figures from more than 3000 major corporations globally and has assembled the largest corporate greenhouse gas emissions database to date in the world. All of this is important because a wider range of data can be generated with cooperation from more sources. Furthermore, the impact by cars, used and new, and other pollution sources can more accurately be assessed.
21 U.S. cities have been announced so far, while at the least, nine U.S. cities are expected to take part in the the new data-gathering environmental project. Every city will assemble comparable carbon emission data within their jurisdiction’s operations. For example, fire department, ambulance and police services, municipal buildings, waste transport and activities performed by cities over which they exercise budgetary control.
Like the businesses who have joined the CDP program, the city organizations involved will be able to learn from peers about dealing with the risks and opportunities climate change presents.
They will follow CDP systems to assess and disclose climate change-related risks and opportunities relating to the whole city. Cities will use the Local Government Operations Protocol, coauthored by ICLEI, the California Climate Action Registry and the California Air Resources Board, which details the policy framework, calculation methodologies, and reporting guidance for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from local government operations.
Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP said:
“Over 70% of total global emissions are generated from cities and if you don’t measure these emissions, you cannot manage them. This is a vital step for city councils who wish to gain a better understanding of their own impact and by improving their understanding of risks and opportunities associated with climate change, best prepare their cities for a carbon constrained world.”
We’re sure, at least in Los Angeles, that a large part of that 70% comes from cars (Mazdas included).
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said “The City of New York joins the world’s leading corporations in providing a complete, accurate accounting of its carbon emissions, the strategies it is employing to mitigate those emissions, and the results of its efforts through the Carbon Disclosure Project and ICLEI. This partnership between the world’s major corporations and, increasingly, its cities, highlights the importance of the cooperative action needed to successfully counter climate change.”
Los Angeles and other cities will submit their information to CDP by October 31, 2008 to be published in the first ever CDP Cities Report in January 2009. We hope that more of Southern California can help some how with this project, as we all know what pollution looks like in this part of California.
The other cities participating include: New York, NY; Albany, NY; Albuquerque, NM; Anchorage, AK; Arlington, VA; Burlington, VT; Dubuque, IA; Edina, MN; Fairfield, IA; Haverford, PA; Las Vegas, NV; New Orleans, LA; North Little Rock, AR; Pacific Grove, CA; Park City, UT; Rohnert Park, CA; Saint Paul, MN; Washougal, WA; and West Palm Beach, FL.
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