Translate
Greenhouse gas emissions data
Greenhouse gases are the primary cause of recent climate change. To avoid the most serious impacts of climate change, we need major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Measuring and understanding these emissions is important for our government operations and community at-large.
Puget Sound Regional Emissions Analysis Project
King County led the Puget Sound Regional Emissions Analysis Project, which was completed in 2022. The project provided comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions data. It also developed planning tools to advance local climate action for central Puget Sound cities and counties across King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
Project analysis shows that:
- Implementing new local, state, and federal energy policies will significantly reduce regional emissions over the coming years.
- The region is well positioned for unprecedented investments from the federal and state governments.
- There is an urgent need for collective action by local governments, industries, businesses, and residents.
- We must cut emissions faster to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and speed transition to an equitable, sustainable economy.
Geography and consumption-based inventories
There are 2 major ways to measure how much greenhouse gases our region is emitting.
- Geography-based inventories look at emissions within a community's boundaries due to local activities. This includes activities like transportation, powering and heating buildings, and local agriculture. A geographic emissions inventory does not account for upstream emissions from goods and services consumed within the community.
- Consumption-based inventories estimate greenhouse gas emissions associated with the activity of all residents of a specific area. It's like a personal household carbon footprint, but for all households. These inventories include upstream emissions for activities like food consumption and the production and transport of goods and services.
Our most recent communitywide reports provide data for both 2019 and 2020. However, because 2020 marked the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we're focused on data from 2019. In both geography- and consumption-based inventories.
Findings and reports
Buildings and transportation are King County's biggest sources greenhouse gas emissions, based on geography
In 2019,our total countywide geographic greenhouse gas emissions were 27.1 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e).
- 46% of these emissions came from buildings
- 43% of the these emissions came from transportation
- 5% of the these emissions came from land use
- 4% of the these emissions came from refrigerants
- 2% of the these emissions came from waste and wastewater
One-third of average household greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, based on consumption
In 2019, the average emissions per King County household was 42 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e).
Of these, 33% (14.15 metric tons of CO2 equivalent) came from transportation, including:
- 10.13 metric tons from gasoline
- 1.88 metric tons from air travel
- 1.45 metric tons from vehicle purchases
- 0.69 metric tons from other vehicle expenses
Additionally:
- 5.75 metric tons of CO2 equivalent came from housing, including:
- 2.71 metric tons from other lodging while traveling
- 1.58 metric tons from natural gas
- 1.09 metric tons from shelter
- 0.37 metric tons from other heating fuels
- 8.29 metric tons of CO2 equivalent came from food, including:
- 2.09 metric tons from dining out
- 1.92 metric tons from meats, poultry, fish, and eggs
- 1.46 metric tons from other food
- 0.86 metric tons from dairy
- 0.78 metric tons from alcoholic beverages
- 0.69 metric tons from fruits and vegetables
- 0.61 metric tons from cereals and bakery products
- 5 metric tons of CO2 equivalent came from goods, including:
- 1.98 metric tons from furnishings and appliances
- 1.12 metric tons from apparel
- 0.65 metric tons from housekeeping supplies
- 0.65 metric tons from personal care products
- 0.41 metric tons from entertainment goods
- 0.19?? metric tons from miscellaneous goods
-
- 7.95 metric tons of CO2 equivalent came from services, including:
- 4.46 metric tons from healthcare
- 1.33 metric tons from miscellaneous services
- 0.92 metric tons from entertainment services
- 0.8 metric tons from education
- 0.44 metric tons from insurance and pensions
- 7.95 metric tons of CO2 equivalent came from services, including:
Previous reports and inventories
- 2017 Update: GHG Emissions in King County (893 KB)
- 2015 Update: GHG Emissions in King County (2.9 MB)
- 2010 Update: GHG Emissions in King County (143 KB)
- 2008 Update: GHG Emissions in King County (5.8 MB)
- 2003 Update: Inventory of King County Air Emissions (434 KB)
- 2000: Inventory of King County Air Emissions (3 MB)
Emissions inventory database and planning tools
- Geographic GHG Emissions Inventory Database (PowerBI database, 630 Kb) NOTE: This link does not seem to be working: https://kc1.sharepoint.com/:u:/t/DNRPa/EZ7hxHhEx2FLpuRtRAVbwB4BSDLkeOrqlQMgvMyy1xd-wQ?e=7gu1uL
This dashboard and database tool allows users to explore local geographic sources of community GHG emissions for King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties and each of the 39 cities in King County.
- Geographic GHG Wedge Planning Tool (3.0 Mb)
This spreadsheet planning tool allows users to explore and customize different scenarios to achieve deep reductions (called "wedges") in community geographic GHG emissions for King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties and each of the 39 cities in King County.
- Consumption GHG Wedge Planning Tool (4.1 Mb)
This spreadsheet planning tool allows users to explore and customize different scenarios to achieve deep reductions (called "wedges") in community consumption GHG emissions for King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.