Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

Abstract

The technical definition of a community greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory is an accounting of GHGs emitted by a community to (and in some cases, removed from) the atmosphere over a period of time, usually a calendar year. The inventory provides the baseline or existing condition from which to measure progress toward a GHG reduction target. This approach of quantifying a problem is not novel for most communities. Transportation studies that quantify the amount of traffic on roadways or housing studies that quantify the housing stock and assess its affordability are just two examples of gathering quantitative data in support of planning.