City Manager’s Office
DATE: September 29, 2026
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Lauren Anderson, Sustainability Analyst II
VIA: Danielle Lee, Chief Sustainability and Resiliency Officer
SUBJECT: 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) take the following actions:
1. Review and recommend that the City Council accept the 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
2. Direct staff to explore adjusting the reporting frequency for the City’s Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
BACKGROUND
The City Council has adopted and revised communitywide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals over time. On April 21, 2020 , the City Council adopted Resolution No. 18439, establishing a communitywide carbon-neutrality goal for 2045. This most recent Council direction supersedes the City's previous communitywide GHG reduction targets and establishes carbon neutrality by 2045 as the City's current long-term communitywide climate goal.
The communitywide GHG emissions inventory provides a consistent basis for tracking long-term changes in communitywide emissions in relation to this goal. Because communitywide emissions are influenced by numerous factors outside the City's direct control, the inventory does not measure the effectiveness of individual City programs or policies. Rather, it provides a broader measure of how communitywide emissions are changing over time.
The City has continued to track progress through annual community GHG emissions inventories, which are presented to the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) and City Council.
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
ANALYSIS
Inventory Methodology and Limitations
A communitywide GHG inventory measures sources of local GHG emissions from residential and commercial activities, which generally include:
• Energy use (electricity and natural gas)
• Fossil fuel-powered vehicle use (e.g. gasoline and diesel) • Off-road equipment (e.g. construction, industrial, and gardening equipment) • Energy used to transport and treat water
• Waste generated by the community and disposed of in landfills • Emissions from landfills located within the community The inventory does not capture all local emissions associated with community activities, such as emissions from food consumption, air travel, or the production of manufactured goods, because these emissions are difficult to measure at the community level. It also does not capture the full impact of local GHG-reduction policies and programs. For example, the effects of programs that encourage plant-based eating, tree planting, or changes in travel behavior may not be directly reflected in an inventory that relies on aggregated and modeled data.
The inventory results should be considered estimates based on the best available data and established methodologies at the time of the inventory. As data sources and methodologies improve, historical inventories may be updated to improve consistency and accuracy. In addition, emissions in any given year can be affected by factors outside of local climate policies and programs, such as economic conditions, weather, or significant changes in travel and energy use.
For these reasons, individual inventory years are most useful for understanding broader trends in community-wide emissions rather than attributing changes to specific policies or programs.
See Attachment 1 for additional information on the data and methodology used to measure community GHG emissions.
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Results To provide a more accurate representation of long -term trends in GHG emissions, the City is moving toward using multi-year inventory averages rather than comparing individual inventory years. Multi-year averages help reduce the influence of year -to-year fluctuations and provide a more informative assessment of progress towards reducing emissions.
The City began this transition in 2025 ( presenting the 2023 inventory) by averaging four prior inventories to establish a multi-year baseline. The 2015–2019 baseline included inventory years 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The 2016 inventory year was omitted because sufficient data are not available for a consistent comparison. The 2023 inventory was presented as a single-year 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
inventory because there was insufficient data post-COVID to calculate a multi-year average. For the 2024 inventory, staff is applying the multi -year approach to both the baseline and current emissions by comparing the established 2015– 2019 baseline (now including 2016) emissions with 2023–2024 average emissions. As additional inventory years become available, the City will expand the averaging periods so that baseline and current -period comparisons are based on a similar number of years, providing a more consistent measure of long-term emissions trends.
The COVID -19 pandemic resulted in extraordinary and temporary changes in travel patterns, economic activity, building occupancy, and other factors that substantially affected communitywide emissions. Including these years (2020-2022) in the comparison could therefore introduce short-term fluctuations that are not representative of typical community conditions and could obscure the underlying long-term trend.
Excluding the pandemic years allows the analysis to focus on more representative periods of community activity and provides a more meaningful basis for comparing multi- year average emissions over time. This approach is intended to improve the consistency and interpretability of the trend analysis rather than to exclude emissions data from the City's overall inventory record.
Table 1 compares the 2023 –2024 average with the established 2015 –2019 average baseline (baseline emissions). 2024 emissions are provided in Attachment 2 for reference. Based on the 2023–2024 average, community-wide emissions were 33.2% below the baseline.
Table 1: Community GHG Emissions: 2015–2019 Baseline and Recent-Year Comparison 1 Sector
2015-2019 Average
Baseline Emissions
(MT CO2e)2
2023-2024 Average
Emissions
(MT CO2e)2
Percent Change
from the
Baseline3
On-Road Transportation 470,317 296,324 -37.0%
Natural Gas 112,612 104,507 -7.2%
Electricity 85,212 33,276 -60.9%
Off-Road Transportation 40,585 39,325 -3.1%
Waste 17,091 12,393 -27.5%
Water 2,421 701 -71.0%
Total Community Emissions 728,239 486,525 -33.2%
1 Numbers may vary slightly due to rounding.
2MT CO2e stands for metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. It is a metric used to standardize the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and provides a common unit that allows different gases, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), to be compared based on their global warming potential.
3Percent change is calculated based on the 2023–2024 average relative to the 2015–2019 average baseline.
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Figure 1 provides a year- by-year comparison, showing an overall decline in community GHG emissions over the longer term, with notable changes during the COVID-19 period and 2023 and 2024 emissions below the 2015–2019 average baseline.
Figure 1: Community GHG Emissions, 2015-2024
Figure 2 shows a breakdown of the 2023–2024 average community GHG emissions by sector.
Transportation and natural gas remain the two largest sources of emissions, together accounting for 82% of community-wide emissions.
Figure 2: Average Community GHG Emissions by Sector, 2023–2024 Average 2015-2019
Average
Baseline
728,239
2023-2024
Average
486,525
-
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Emissions (MT CO2e)
COVID-19 Period (2020-2022)
Transportation,
61%
Natural Gas,
21%
Electricity, 7%
Off-Road, 8%
Waste, 3% Water, 0%
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Table 2 presents community emissions in relation to Mountain View’s service population, which accounts for both residents and workers in the city. For purposes of this inventory , the service population is defined as the sum of the residential population and the worker population within Mountain View. Between the baseline and the 2023-2024 average, total emissions decreased by
33.2%, while the overall service population remained relatively stable, decreasing by 1.6%. This provides important context for understanding the City’s emissions reductions alongside its ongoing housing and economic development goals.
Table 2: Community GHG Emissions Relative to the Service Population
Indicator 2015-2019
Average Baseline
2023-2024
Average
Percent Change
from Baseline to
2023-2024 Average
Total Emissions
(MT CO2e) 728,239 486,525 -33.2%
Service Population 174,643 171,866 -1.6%
Residential Population1 79,810 85,499 7.1%
Worker Population2 94,833 86,367 -8.9%
Emissions Per Service Population
(MT CO2e/person) 4.2 2.8 -32.1%
Note: Numbers may vary slightly due to rounding.
Sources: [1] California Department of Finance, E-4 Population Estimates, 2011–2020; [2] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Table B08604.
As Mountain View continues to accommodate additional housing and support a substantial daytime worker population, emissions reductions must be considered in the context of maintaining a vibrant, accessible, and economically diverse community. The decrease in emissions per service population from 4.2 to 2. 8 MT CO₂e per person demonstrates that community-wide emissions have declined substantially even as the service population has remained essentially unchanged.
Attachment 1 provides additional information on the inventory methodology and data sources.
Trends and Insights for Each Emission Source
The following sections examine key emissions trends in each sector and highlight factors that may help explain these trends and provide context for the City’s ongoing decarbonization efforts. 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Transportation
Transportation emissions are primarily associated with gasoline-powered passenger and light - duty vehicles, which accounted for an average of 72% of on -road transportation emissions in 2023-2024. Figure 3 shows the trends in transportation emissions by vehicle and fuel type from 2015 through 2024. Further reductions will depend on both reducing vehicle travel and increasing the adoption of electric vehicles. The City can help advance these outcomes by making alternatives to driving more convenient and encouraging the transition to electric vehicles.
Efforts to reduce reliance on driving include development that supports transit and walkable neighborhoods, transportation demand management strategies, improvements that make walking, bicycling, and transit more convenient, and support for remote work and other alternatives to driving. The City can also encourage continued adoption of electric vehicles through its policies and programs.
Transportation 2023–2024 average emissions decreased by 37% from the baseline. This decline reflects changes in vehicle travel, fuel efficiency, and increased adoption of electric vehicles. Daily vehicle miles traveled per service population, which measures average daily vehicle travel relative to the City’s service population, decreased from 18.5 miles during the baseline to an average of 14.0 miles in 2023-2024.
Figure 3: Transportation Emissions by Vehicle and Fuel Type, 2015-2024
*Includes Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicles (CNG/LNG) (0.4%), Passenger and Light Duty Vehicles (Diesel) (0.2%), and Caltrain Diesel (1.3%).
Percentages reflect each source’s share of 2024 transportation emissions. Caltrain Diesel is included beginning in 2022.
Changes in commuting patterns provide additional context for the decline in vehicle travel. U.S.
Census Bureau data show that the share of Mountain View residents driving alone to work decreased from the baseline, while the share working from home increased substantially.
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Emissions (MT CO2e) Passenger and
Light Duty
(Gasoline)
Medium and
Heavy Duty
(Gasoline)
Medium and
Heavy Duty
(Diesel)
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Table 3: Commuting Characteristics of Mountain View Residents, 2023-20241
Means of Transportation
to Work
2015-2019
Average Baseline
2023-2024
Average
Percent Change
from Baseline to
2023-2024 Average
Drove alone 68.2% 62.8% -7.9%
Carpooled 7.3% 7.3% -0.5%
Public Transportation 7.5% 5.4% -28.3%
Walked 3.2% 2.1% -34.4%
Bicycle 6.3% 3.4% -47.1%
Taxicab, motorcycle, or
other means 1.6% 2.9% +77.6%
Worked from home 5.9% 16.3% +177.0%
1 Numbers may vary slightly due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, Means of Transportation to Work.
The share of zero-emission vehicles in Mountain View has also increased. For purposes of this analysis, zero-emission vehicles include battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. California Energy Commission data show that zero-emission vehicles represented 20% of the City’s registered vehicle population in 2024, compared with 7% in 2020 and 2% in 2015. The number of new zero-emission vehicle sales has also increased, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: New Zero-Emission Vehicle Sales in Mountain View, 2015-2024
Source: California Energy Commission, Zero-Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Statistics Collection. Data are reported by ZIP code and may not align exactly with the City of Mountain View boundaries. 0 1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
New ZEV Sales
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Energy
Energy-sector emissions in Mountain View are primarily associated with electricity and natural gas use. SVCE’s lower-emission electricity has significantly reduced electricity-related emissions.
As a result, natural gas is now the largest remaining source of energy-sector emissions, as shown in Figure 5. SVCE began providing electricity to Mountain View customers in April 2017 and currently serves approximately 96% of eligible customers in its service territory who were previously served by PG&E. Further reductions in energy -sector emissions will depend , in part, on transitioning buildings from natural gas to electricity.
Energy-sector 2023–2024 average emissions decreased by 30.4% from the baseline. Total electricity use decreased over the period, largely reflecting lower commercial electricity use. The much larger decline in electricity -related emissions across both residential and commercial customers reflects SVCE’s lower-emission electricity supply, as shown in Figure 6. In recent years, however, electricity -related emissions have increased as the emissions intensity of SVCE’s electricity supply has increased.
In 2024, approximately 79% of SVCE's electricity supply came from renewable energy resources and large hydroelectric power. SVCE reported that limited availability of lower -emission energy resources and broader market conditions contributed to the higher-emission power supply. SVCE has indicated that it is on track to return to a 100% clean power supply in 2025 and subsequent years.
Figure 5: Energy Emissions, 2015-2024
0 25,000
50,000
75,000
100,000
125,000
150,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Emissions (MT CO2e)
Natural Gas Electricity
SVCE Launched Service
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Figure 6: Electricity Emissions by Customer Type, 2015-2024
Off-Road Mobile Equipment
Off-road transportation emissions come from a range of equipment categories, including industrial equipment such as forklifts and material-handling equipment; construction equipment such as excavators and loaders; portable equipment such as generators and pumps; light commercial equipment; and lawn and garden equipment such as mowers and leaf blowers.
Industrial equipment is the largest source of emissions, and construction equipment is another major source. Mountain View supports the transition to lower -emission equipment across the community and is also transitioning equipment used in City operations where feasible.
Off-road transportation 2023– 2024 average emissions decreased by 3.1% from the baselin e.
Year-to-year changes are driven largely by fluctuations in construction activity, while emissions from the other equipment categories have remained relatively stable, as shown in Figure 7.
Emissions from the other equipment categories have remained relatively stable. The inventory also includes a small “Other” category for forestry, pleasure craft, commercial harbor craft, and recreational sources, which is not shown separately in Figure 7 because it represents a small share of total emissions.
Further reductions will depend on broader adoption of lower -emission and zero -emission equipment as these technologies become more widely available and practical for different applications.
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Figure 7: Off-Road Mobile Emissions, 2015-2024
Waste
Solid waste -related emissions primarily come from the decomposition of organic materials disposed of in landfills. The inventory accounts for emissions from community -generated waste sent to landfills, as well as from the former Shoreline Landfill, which has been closed since 1996 but continues to emit gases as waste decomposes.
Solid waste 2023–2024 average emissions decreased by 27.5 % from the baseline , as shown in Figure 8. This decrease reflects both a reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill and changes in the types of materials in the waste stream. The more recent waste characterization shows less organic material sent to the landfill, reducing associated landfill emissions.
The City continues to work to reduce waste and increase diversion through implementation of its Zero Waste Plan, including efforts to reduce waste generation and increase the recovery of recyclable and organic materials.
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Emissions (MT CO2e)
Industrial Equipment Construction Equipment
Portable Equipment Commercial Equipment
Lawn and Garden
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Figure 8: Solid Waste Emissions, 2015-2024
Water and Wastewater
Water and wastewater- related emissions primarily come from the energy used to extract, convey, treat, and transport potable water and to collect and treat wastewater. Wastewater treatment accounts for more than 95% of emissions in this sector. Figure 8 shows the estimated wastewater emissions.
Water and wastewater -related 2023–2024 average emissions decreased by 71% from the baseline. Figure 9 shows the longer-term trend in water and wastewater-related emissions. The decrease is primarily due to lower wastewater -related emissions, while emissions associated with potable water use remain relatively small, as the water supply for Mountain View is primarily gravity-fed and requires very little energy.
The City continues to implement water conservation and efficiency measures that help reduce water use and the associated energy needed to supply and treat water.
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Emissions (MT CO2e)
Solid Waste 2015-2019 Average Baseline
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Figure 9: Water and Wastewater Emissions, 2015-2024
Exploring Adjustments to the GHG Inventory Reporting Frequency
As discussed in the Inventory Results section of this report, the community GHG emissions inventory has limitations when used to assess year -to-year changes in community emissions or the effectiveness of individual City actions. Year-to-year variation in inventory results may reflect changes in activity levels, energy use, weather conditions, emissions factors, data sources, and other factors. In addition, communitywide emissions are influenced by many factors outside the City's direct control. As a result, changes in the annual inventory do not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of local policies, programs, or investments.
Evaluating emissions over multiple years provides a more useful indication of longer- term changes in communitywide emissions. At the same time, the City is developing a five -year decarbonization plan that will establish climate indicators and performance m easures intended to more directly track implementation and outcomes of local climate actions. These indicators may provide a more timely and informative measure of the City's progress in implementing its decarbonization strategies than changes in the annual communitywide GHG inventory.
Mountain View has historically reported a comprehensive communitywide GHG emissions inventory annually. Given the limitations of using annual inventory results to assess local climate action and the City's increasing use of action- oriented indicators throu gh the five -year decarbonization planning process, staff recommends that the CSC direct staff to explore options for evolving the frequency and approach of communitywide GHG inventory reporting.
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Emissions (MT CO2e)
Wastewater Water Demand
2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
Options could include moving to a less frequent reporting cycle, such as every two, three, or five years, while continuing to maintain the inventory as a consistent measure of longer- term communitywide emissions trends. Other Bay Area cities use different approaches to the timing and presentation of comprehensive inventories, providing examples for staff to consider.
As part of this analysis, staff could evaluate:
• Reporting frequency: The benefits and tradeoffs of annual, biennial, three -year, five - year, or other reporting cycles, including options for conducting or reporting multiple years of inventory data together to better evaluate longer-term emissions trends. • Climate progress tracking: How a comprehensive communitywide GHG inventory could complement the climate indicators and performance measures being developed through the City's five -year decarbonization plan , rather than serve as the primary measure of progress. These indicators are intended to provide more direct information on the implementation and progress of local climate actions.
• Peer practices and resources: Approaches used by other Bay Area cities and guidance from relevant organizations.
If the CSC approves the staff recommendation, staff will return in Spring 2027 with the 2025 community GHG emissions inventory and an analysis of options for future inventory reporting frequency and approaches for evaluating emissions trends. This analysis will be informed by the updated inventory, the City's five -year decarbonization plan and associated climate indicators, and the City's current climate goals.
The analysis would allow the CSC to consider whether annual communitywide GHG inventory reporting remains the most useful approach for communicating climate progress, or whether a less frequent inventory, combined with more frequent reporting on action -oriented climate indicators, would provide a more meaningful and effective framework for tracking the City's climate efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with accepting the 2024 Community GHG Emissions Inventory. The inventory can help inform future budget and resource allocation decisions related to reducing community emissions.
CONCLUSION
The 2024 Community GHG Emissions Inventory indicates that Mountain View has made substantial progress in reducing community -wide emissions, with average emissions in 2023 – 2024 33.2% below the baseline. Transportation and natural gas remain the largest sources of 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
September 29, 2026
emissions, highlighting continued opportunities for decarbonization. It may be beneficial to evaluate how the frequency of inventory reporting can best support long -term tracking of progress toward the City’s 2045 carbon-neutrality goal.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not recommend that City Council accept the 2024 Community GHG Emissions Inventory and provide direction to staff regarding any additional analysis or revisions desired.
2. Direct staff to maintain the City’s current approach of conducting community GHG emissions inventories annually.
3. Provide other direction.
Attachments: 1. Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Methodology
2. 2024 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory