DATE: September 14, 2026
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT 2024 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) reviews and comments on this report.
SUMMARY
This report compares the calendar year 2024 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory with previous years and provides an overview of the progress toward the communitywide reduction targets established in the City Council adopted General Plan. As summarized in Table 1, total emissions across all sectors have been reduced by 6.8% from 2023 and by 39.9% since 2005.
Transportation remains the largest contributor to community emissions, and its trends continue to shape overall results. Transportation emissions declined in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased in 2021 as pandemic restrictions eased, but they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. From 2021 to 2024, total emissions decreased by 6.4%, a trend that may reflect ongoing hybrid and remote work patterns.
Table 1: GHG Emissions by Sector (MTC02e)
Sector
2005b
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
% Change from 2005
Electricity
185,536
12,467
23,038
35,844
29,313
26,011
13,972
-92.5%
Natural Gas
189,995
176,649
166,334
168,917
170,495
172,822
152,910
-19.5%
Transportation
529,316
420,995
309,168
361,935
371,868
357,355
347,651
-34.3%
Airporta
4,779a
4,779a
4,779a
4,779a
4,779a
4,779
4,310
-9.8%
Off-Road Vehicles
14,889
24,287
27,976
23,426
39,882
36,526
36,741
146.8%
Solid Waste
50,924
46,187
34,628
32,011
32,141
32,537
31,469
-38.2%
Water and wastewater
4,716
2,710
2,512
2,171
1,990
1,819
1,828
-61.2%
Total
980,155
688,074
568,435
629,083
650,468
631,849
588,881
-39.9%
Hayward Population
140,305
164,029
162,611
160,686
161,561
161,796
162,383
15.7%
Total Emissions/ Capita
7.0 4.2
3.5 3.9
4.0 3.9
3.6 -48.1%
Emissions data for 2005 through 2022 are not available; 2023 Airport emissions data was used as the estimated values for 2005 to 2022.
Due to the overall size of the chart, data for 2010 and 2015 have been omitted. This data is available upon request.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item does not impact the General Fund or Measure C.
BACKGROUND
The most recent report on the City’s GHG emissions, presented to the Council Sustainability Committee in March 2025, showed Hayward’s community-wide emissions were 35.5% below 2005 levels in 2023. This reflected a slight increase from 2021, when emissions were 35.8% below 2005 levels. Previous GHG inventory reports are available on the City’s website.
On January 30, 2024, the City Council adopted the updated Climate Action Plan (CAP) as an amendment to the 2040 General Plan. The 2024 CAP builds upon the 2014 plan and includes specific actions and measures designed to reduce GHG emissions in alignment with state targets. It also provides projections of future per capita emissions based on full implementation of all CAP measures. Following the recommended actions and timelines would place Hayward on a path to achieving a 55% emissions reduction by 2030.
The City’s General Plan Policy NR-2.4 sets the following GHG emissions reduction targets.
NR-2.4: Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction
The City shall…reduce community-based GHG emissions by 20 percent below 2005 baseline levels by 2020, 30 percent below 2005 baseline emissions levels by 2025, 55 percent below 2005 baseline emissions levels by 2030, and work with the community to develop a plan that may result in the reduction of community-based GHG emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
To monitor progress toward the City’s climate targets, staff originally completed community greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories every five years, beginning with the 2005 baseline. In 2017, the City transitioned to annual inventories. All inventories follow the U.S. Community Protocol developed by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the standard methodology used by local governments to ensure consistent and comparable GHG reporting.
As emissions models and data sources have improved over time, staff routinely recalculate past inventories using updated methodologies. For example, Google has changed the data source used to estimate transportation activity, and as a result Google EIE will not provide data for 2024 and 2025. In response, staff used ICLEI’s transportation emissions tool, which was created for this transition, to calculate 2024 values in this report and will rely on the same tool for 2025. Due to methodological updates, total emissions values in this report differ from those published in previous years.
DISCUSSION
This report presents the 2024 GHG inventory. Community-wide emissions in 2024 were 39.6% below 2005 levels and 6.8% lower than in 2023. As shown in Table 2, Hayward met its 2020 goal of reducing emissions by 20% below 2005 levels two years earlier, achieving a 22.7% reduction in 2018. The City then surpassed its 2025 goal in 2020 with a 42.0% reduction. However, the significant decrease in emissions between 2019 and 2020 was largely due to COVID19 impacts on community activity. Emissions did increase by 10.7% in 2021 as restrictions eased but then decreased by 6.4% from 2021 to 2024, resulting in an overall reduction of 39.9% from the 2005 baseline.
Table 2 presents historical per capita emissions and the 2030 goal of reaching 3.12 metric tones of CO2e.
Table 2: GHG Emission Reduction Goals and Actual Emission Reductions Year
Overall Emissions Reduction Goal
Actual Reduction
Per Capita Goal (MT CO2e)
Actual Per Capita Emissions (MT CO2e)
2005
Baseline
N/A
Baseline
7.0 2010
9.3%
6.1 2015
14.0%
5.3 2018
22.7%
4.6 2019
29.8%
4.2 2020
20%
42.0%
3.5 2021
35.8%
3.9 2022
33.6%
4.0 2023
35.5%
3.9 2024
39.9%
3.6 2025
30%
2030
55%
3.12 2045
Carbon neutrality
Carbon neutrality
Figure 1 presents projected per capita emissions with and without CAP measures. Businessasusual (BAU) emissions are shown in blue, while the adjusted forecast in orange reflects anticipated statewide actions that reduce emissions. The yellow dashed line represents projected emissions under full implementation of the CAP. While this trajectory moves Hayward toward carbon neutrality (dark orange line), additional updates to the CAP will be necessary to meet the 2045 target.
Figure 1 – Per Capita Emissions Compared to Forecast Scenario and Target Pathway YearYear
Year
Year
Figure 2 – Per Capita Emissions Compared to Actual Emissions and Target Pathway The City’s GHG inventory includes eight sectors: electricity, natural gas, transportation, public buses (AC Transit), BART, offroad vehicles, solid waste, and water and wastewater. Figure 3 illustrates annual emissions and the percentage contribution of each sector. Transportation, shown in yellow, remains the largest source and consistently accounts for more than half of total emissions. Water and wastewater together represent 0.3% of emissions, solid waste accounts for 5.3%, offroad vehicles account for 6.2%, and electricity use in buildings accounts for 2.4%. Natural gas use in buildings, shown in orange, contributes 26.0% of total emissions.
Figure 3: GHG Emissions by Sector (MT C02e)
Energy Sector (Electricity and Natural Gas)
Electricity and natural gas energy emissions were 55.6% below 2005 levels in 2024. Electricity emissions declined by 92.5%, and natural gas emissions decreased by 19.5% over the same period (see Table 3 and Figure 4).
Table 3: Energy Sector GHG Emissions
Energy Metrics
2005a
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
% Change from 2005
Residential Electricity:
GHG Emissions
53,939
6,326
17,547
22,930
20,704
17,742
7,922
-85.3%
Residential Electricity: MWh
242,161
239,006
215,828
244,443
238,085
256,435
226,377
-6.5%
Non-residential Electricity:
GHG Emissions
131,597
6,140
5,491
12,914
8,609
8,269
6,050
-95.4%
Non-residential Electricity: MWh
590,811
511,639
381,744
410,516
418,744
427,418
446,769
-24.4%
Residential Natural Gas: GHG Emissions
103,502
95,291
94,811
93,713
93,396
96,374
84,201
-18.7%
Residential Natural Gas: Therms (in millions)
19.489
17.943
17.853
17.646
17.587
18.148
15.856
-18.6%
Non-residential Natural Gas:
GHG Emissions
86,493
81,358
71,523
75,204
77,099
76,448
68,709
-20.6%
Non-residential Natural Gas: Therms (in millions)
16.287
15.32 13.468
14.161
14.518
14.395
12.938
-20.6%
Total GHG Emissions
375,531
189,116
189,373
204,761
199,808
198,833
166,882
-55.6%
Due to the overall size of the chart, data for 2010 and 2015 have been omitted. These data are available upon request.
Figure 4: Energy Sector GHG Emissions (MT CO2e)
A primary factor contributing to the reduction in electricity emissions has been the transition of most Hayward customers to Ava Community Energy (Ava), formerly known as East Bay Community Energy (EBCE). Beginning in 2018, customers were automatically enrolled in Ava’s carbon free electricity product (Brilliant 100 from 2018-2021 and Renewable 100 from 2022 onward), which resulted in emissions dropping from 47,452 MTCO2e in 2018 to 12,467 MTCO2e in 2019. However, in 2020, Ava’s more affordable product Bright Choice shifted to a more carbon intensive power sources, resulting in an increase in overall energy emissions. Approximately 30% of Hayward households participate in income or medical discount programs and receive Bright Choice. The proportion of carbon free sources in Bright Choice declined from 86.7% in 2019 to 55.0% in 2020, then increased steadily to 96.0% in 2024 (see Table 4). Bright Choice is now 2% more carbon intensive than the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Base Plan Bright Choice.
Table 4: Annual Percentage of Carbon-Free Energy* in Electricity Products Electricity Productsa
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Ava’s Renewable 100
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Ava’s Bright Choice
86.7%
55.0%
59.9%
71.5%
88.9%
96.0%
Pacific Gas & Electricity (PG&E) Base Plan
100%
83.5%
91.0%
95.2%
100%
98.0%
Carbon-free energy includes renewable energy (biomass & biogas, geothermal, eligible hydroelectric, solar, and wind), nuclear and hydroelectric power.
Residential electricity emissions decreased from 2005 to 2024 by 85.3% and electricity use (MWh) decreased 6.5% over the same time period. Nonresidential electricity emissions decreased 95.4% and use (MWh) decreased 24.4% (see Figure 5). Ava aims to make Bright Choice become carbon free by 2030, which is expected to further reduce emissions.
Figure 5: Electricity Usage & GHG Emissions
Figure 6: Natural Gas Usage & Emissions
Figure 7: Residential Energy GHG Emissions & Housing Units in Hayward From 2005 to 2024, nonresidential emissions from natural gas decreased by 20.6%. Despite an increase in housing units, residential emissions decreased by 18.6% during the same period. From 2023 to 2024, residential natural gas emissions decreased by 12.6%, which may be related to a decrease in heating degree days (HDD) (see Figure 8).
Figure 8: Residential Natural Gas Usage & Heating Degree Days (HDD) in Hayward Transportation Sector
From 2005 to 2024, transportation emissions decreased by 34.2% and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased by 13.4% (see Table 5). The COVID19 pandemic led to significant declines in onroad travel between 2019 and 2020, including a 27.7% reduction in VMT and a 26.5% reduction in transportation emissions. As restrictions were lifted, VMT increased by 23.0% and transportation emissions increased by 17.1% from 2020 to 2021. Although staff anticipated continued increases in travel activity, VMT declined by 0.8% from 2023 to 2024, and transportation emissions decreased by 2.9%. This decrease may be attributable to continued adoption of remote and hybrid work practices and the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) (see Figure 9).
In 2020, staff began using Google’s Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) to estimate onroad transportation emissions. EIE provided more complete and timely data on travel activity during the COVID19 pandemic and improved the accuracy of transportation emissions estimates. Prior to 2020, transportation activity was modeled using the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) approach, which relied on transportation surveys, land use, and population data to estimate vehicle miles traveled for trips occurring within, beginning or ending in, or passing through Hayward.
EIE uses anonymized location information from mobile devices to estimate travel activity for all vehicle types that start or end within the City, which better reflects local travel behavior. To allow for consistent comparison with the 2005 baseline, staff recalculated transportation emissions for inventory years not covered by EIE, specifically 2005 through 2017.
In December 2023, Google updated its location data policy to allow users to store location data on their devices rather than in the cloud. As a result, Google is reevaluating the EIE methodology and will not release transportation data for 2024 or 2025. ICLEI, a partner in the development of EIE, provided jurisdictions with a tool that uses 2023 EIE data and population estimates to generate estimates for 2024 and 2025. Accordingly, staff used ICLEI’s tool to calculate transportation emissions for 2024 and 2025 until Google releases an updated version of EIE.
Table 5: Transportation Sector GHG Emissions (MT CO2e) and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Transportation Metrics
2005a
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
% Change
Passenger: GHG Emissions
377,446
298,789
211,039
254,783
261,152
250,591
243,185
-35.6%
Passenger: VMT (in millions)
892.31
861.06
617.07
765.12
803.54
788.02
781.94
-12.4%
Commercial: GHG Emissions
136,630
111,528
88,826
98,220
101,561
98,010
95,902
-29.8%
Commercial: VMT (in millions)
92.13 77.61
61.09 69.27
72.6 71.18
70.78 -23.2%
Buses: GHG Emissions
6,692
5,823
4,506
4,864
4,939
4,670
4,457
-33.4%
Buses: VMT (in millions)b
3.91 3.97
3.17 3.44
3.52 3.36
3.27 -16.4%
BART: GHG Emissionsc
3,440
547
546
98 0
0 0
-100.0%
BART: Passenger Miles (in millions)d
37.08 41.31
41.19 7.4
14.43 15.8
18.48 -50.2%
Airport: GHG Emissionse
4,779e
4,779e
4,779e
4,779e
4,779e
4,779
4,310
-9.8%
Airport: Operations
122,601
122,601
122,601
122,601
122,601
122,601
111,020
-9.4%
Total GHG Emissions
528,987
421,466
309,696
362,744
372,431
358,050
347,854
-34.2%
Total VMT (in millions)
988.4
942.6
681.3
837.8
879.7
862.6
856.0
-13.4%
Due to the overall size of the chart, data for 2010 and 2015 have been omitted. These data are available upon request.
Buses include public (AC Transit) and private (Google EIE) data.
BART has been carbon-free since 2022. The data above provides a reference to BART’s past emissions.
BART passenger miles in 2020 were estimated using ridership from the month of February, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emissions and airport operations data for 2005 to 2022 are not available; 2023 Airport emissions and airport operations data was used as the estimated values for 2005 to 2022.
Figure 9: Transportation Sector GHG Emissions (MT CO2e) and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Electric Vehicles
Although electric vehicles (EVs) are not directly included in the calculation of transportation emissions, they influence the emissions factor used to estimate total vehicle emissions. Staff monitor changes in EV ownership in Hayward to identify potential correlations between EV adoption and emissions reduction. The CAP includes actions that promote alternatives to singlepassenger internal combustion vehicles, including EVs.
The State of California provides EV registration data by zip code, which staff used to compile EV ownership and sales in Hayward from 2012 through 2024 (see Table 6). The data show a consistent increase in EV adoption, with a 24,052% increase in ownership and a 22,073% increase in EVs per capita since 2012.
Table 6: EV Ownership in Hayward
EV Metrics
2012
2015
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
EV Ownership
31 368
982
1,356
1,695
2,333
3,563
5,851
7,487
Population
149,078
160,244
163,585
164,029
162,611
160,686
161,561
161,796
162,383
EVs per Capita
0.0002
0.0023
0.0060
0.0083
0.0104
0.0145
0.0221
0.0362
0.0461
Figure 10: EV Ownership in Hayward
Hayward Executive Airport Emissions
Hayward’s inventory includes emissions from the Hayward Executive Airport beginning in 2023. Table 7 presents total operations and emissions by aircraft type. Operations represent the total number of landings and takeoffs.
Table 7: Hayward Executive Airport Emissions in 2023 and 2024 Aircraft Type
2023 Operations
2024 Operations
2023 Total Emissions (MT C02e)
2024 Total Emissions (MT C02e)
2023 Emissions (MT C02e) per operations
2024 Emissions (MT C02e) per operations
Single Piston
98,198
88,924
996
902
0.01 0.01
Multi Piston
6,370
5,768
129
117
0.02 0.02
Turbine
3,918
3,547
790
715
0.20 0.20
Jet
8,332
7,544
1,679
1,520
0.20 0.20
Helicopter
5,757
5,213
1,160
1,051
0.20 0.20
Other
26 23
5 5
0.19 0.22
Total
122,601
111,019
4,759
4,310
0.83 0.04
Emissions from the Hayward Executive Airport represent only 0.73% of the community-wide total, indicating a relatively minimal contribution to overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Off-road Vehicles Sector
Off-road vehicles include equipment used in construction, commercial, and industrial activities. Emissions from this sector have grown from 1.5% of communitywide emissions in 2005 to 6.2% in 2024, increasing by 146.8% due to expanded construction and industrial activity. The sharp increase from 2021 to 2022 reflects the addition of new equipment categories, including lawn and garden equipment, which added approximately 3,508 metric tons of CO2 in 2022 and improved overall inventory accuracy. As of January 1, 2024, small gasoline-powered engines for lawn and garden equipment can no longer be sold in California, so emissions are expected to decrease gradually in the coming years.
Table 8: Off-Road Emissions
Offroad Metrics
2005
2010
2015
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Offroad Emissions (MTCO2e)
14,889
17,004
27,267
24,287
27,976
23,426
39,882
36,526
36,741
% change from previous year
N/A
14%
60%
-11%
15%
-16%
70%
-8%
1%
Total Hayward Emissions
975,376
884,105
838,475
683,294
563,656
624,302
631,849
631,849
588,881
% of Total Emissions
1.53%
1.92%
3.25%
3.55%
4.96%
3.75%
6.31%
5.78%
6.24%
Solid Waste Sector
Solid waste emissions in 2024 were 38.2% below 2005 levels. After several years of increases, likely associated with economic growth, emissions declined from 2019 to 2021 due to reduced activity during the pandemic and continues to plateau (see Table 9). In early 2022, SB 1383 took effect, requiring residents and businesses to subscribe to organic waste collection services and properly separate organic waste from the trash and recycling. In 2024 solid waste sent to landfill was 110,015 tons, which is the lowest total when compared across all previous inventories. Staff anticipate continued reductions in landfill disposal and related emissions in future inventories. These reductions are expected to be further supported by SB 54, which took effect on May 1, 2026, and requires producers to reduce singleuse packaging, increase the recyclability and compostability of materials, and fund statewide recycling and wastereduction infrastructure.
Table 9: Solid Waste Sector GHG Emissions
Solid Waste Sent to Landfill
2005
2015
2018
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
% Change
GHG Emissions
50,924
38,148
52,209
34,628
32,011
32,141
32,537
31,469
-38.20%
Tons of Solid Waste
173,908
136,261
185,432
122,375
113,038
113,498
113,746
110,015
-36.74%
Figure 11: Solid Waste Sector GHG Emissions
Water and Wastewater Sector
Water and wastewater emissions in 2024 were 61.2% below 2005 levels. As shown in Table 10, water consumption declined significantly from 2010 to 2015 and has remained relatively stable since. This is likely due to drought conditions, state-mandated reductions, requests from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, increased public awareness, and the City’s water conservation programs.
Table 10: Water and Wastewater Sector GHG Emissions
Water and Wastewater Metrics
2005a
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
% Change
Water Consumption (Billions of gallons)
7.335
5.018
5.227
5.095
4.953
4.754
4.938
-32.7%
Wastewater Processed (Billions of gallons)
5.009
4.218
3.85 3.819
3.860
4.548
4.353
-13.1%
Total Emissions (MTCO2e)
4,716
2,710
2,512
2,171
1,990
1,819
1,828
-61.2%
Residential Water Consumptionb (Billions of gallons)
3.534
2.692
2.897
2.779
2.704
2.631
2.792
-21.0%
Hayward Population
140,305
164,029
162,611
160,686
161,561
161,796
162,383
15.7%
Per Capita Residential Water Consumption (gal)/day
69 45
49 47
46 45
47 -31.8%
Due to the overall size of the chart, data for 2010 and 2015 have been omitted. These data are available upon request. 2005 residential consumption water data unavailable, used 2008 data Figure 12: Water and Wastewater Sector GHG Emissions
Limitations of this Inventory
The City’s GHG inventory was originally developed by ICLEI and its partners in the early 2000s and is designed to measure emissions from readily available data sources, primarily utility data. While this approach is practical and consistent with standard protocols, it has limitations.
The inventory does not include several significant sources of emissions, including upstream emissions associated with the production and transport of goods consumed in Hayward. As a result, reductions achieved through green purchasing policies are not reflected in the current inventory. Additionally, emissions associated with food production and transport, which are among the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, are also not included.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
There is no direct economic impact associated with the completion of the inventory. However, the information obtained provides valuable insight into the actions needed to achieve the City’s GHG reduction goals. Meeting these goals will require substantial investment across the community and may create new local job opportunities. However, some required improvements are not currently costeffective.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Confront Climate Crisis & Champion Environmental Justice. This item is not specifically related to a project identified in the Strategic Roadmap. However, this agenda item does help track progress of projects identified in the Strategic Roadmap, such as:
Project CP1: Implement Year 1 Programs from the adopted GHG Roadmap
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Meeting GHG reduction goals is the primary objective of the City’s Climate Action Plan. Achieving these goals will require emission reductions across all sectors, including improving energy efficiency in buildings, decarbonizing buildings, increasing the use of renewable energy, and reducing vehicle-related emissions. These actions will contribute to cleaner air for Hayward residents and the region.
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public contact has been made for this item.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to collaborate with Ava Community Energy, StopWaste and regional agencies to identify potential opportunities to streamline GHG inventories at the county or regional level, with the goal of supporting consistent annual reporting.
Prepared by: Stephanie Dumont, Sustainability Specialist Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
_____________________________
Jennifer Ott, City Manager
Emissions are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTC02e). Carbon Dioxide equivalent is unit of measurement used to compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based on how long they stay in the atmosphere and how much heat they can trap. For example, over a period of 100 years, 1 pound of methane will trap as much heat as 21 pounds of carbon dioxide. Thus, 1 pound of methane is equal to 21 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents. https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7261918&GUID=B7976ABF-3582-437F-813C-C8859B65C51A&Options=&Search= Climate Action Plan | City of Hayward - Official website (hayward-ca.gov) https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6497833&GUID=90E54932-8B3F-46FA-8B79-47F2DD47560D&Options=&Search= Power Content Label (ca.gov)
A degree day compares the mean (the average of the high and low) outdoor temperatures recorded for a location to a standard temperature, usually 65° Fahrenheit (F) in the United States. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/degree-days.php#:~:text=Heating%20degree%20days%20(HDDs)%20are,%C2%B0F%20has%2025%20HDDs Annual Survey (bawsca.org)