Palo Alto City Council
November 12, 2024

Attachment B: 1990 vs. 2022 Citywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector and Subsector Sector and Subsector
1990 GHG
emissions
(MT CO2e)1
2019 GHG
emissions
(MT CO2e)
2020 GHG
emissions
(MT CO2e)
2021 GHG
emissions
(MT CO2e)
2022 GHG
emissions
(MT CO2e)
% Change
in 2022 from
1990
Percent of
Total 2022
Emissions
Total Transportation & Mobile Sources 331,840 315,081 238,523 211,403 251,063 -24.3% 61.2% -On-Road Transportation 331,840 293,413 217,279 185,925 221,923 -33.1% 54.1% -Airport Emissions Not Included 2,192 1,664 2,641 1,837 n/a 0.4% -Off-road Vehicles Not Included 14,634 15,029 18,961 20,191 n/a 4.9% -Caltrain Commuter Rail Not Included 4,842 4,552 3,876 7,112 n/a 1.7% Total Natural Gas (Methane) Use 194,000 153,509 134,365 135,697 144,996 -25.3% 35.4% -Commercial Energy Not calculated 66,987 53,515 55,676 62,667 n/a 15.3% -Industrial Energy Not calculated 14,373 11,961 12,176 12,677 n/a 3.1% -Residential Energy Not calculated 72,149 68,889 67,846 69,652 n/a 17.0% Natural Gas (Methane) Fugitive Emissions 4,718 5,009 4,384 4,427 4,709 -0.2% 1.1% Total Wastewater-Related Emissions 8,504 2,197 1,388 1,262 2,532 -70.2% 0.6% -Wastewater Biosolid Treatment 2 n/a 812 0 0 0 n/a 0%
-Wastewater Treatment and Effluent 8,504 1,385 1,388 1,262 2,532 -70.2% 0.6% Total Solid Waste 55,057 6,531 6,660 6,522 6,857 -87.5% 1.7% -Composting Not Included 731 1,623 1,256 1,327 n/a 0.3% -Palo Alto Landfill Gas Flaring 3 Not Included 281 316 237 233 n/a 0.1% -Palo Alto Landfill Gas Fugitive 24,325 n/a4 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a -Palo Alto Landfill Waste 30,732 5,519 4,721 5,029 5,297 -82.8% 1.3% Brown Power Supply (Electricity) 186,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a -100.0% n/a Total GHG Emissions (MT CO2e) 780,119 482,237 385,320 359,312 410,157 -47.4% 100% 1 Source: 2016 S/CAP Framework and 2016 Earth Day Report 2 Includes biosolid composting, anaerobic digestion, and incineration 3 2016 Earth Day Report labeled these emissions as biogenic 4 Not included because the landfill was closed