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Kenmore reports 15% drop in estimated community greenhouse-gas emissions since 2019; city says deeper action needed to meet 2030 goals
Summary
The city's 2023 greenhouse-gas inventory shows a 15% reduction from the 2019 baseline, driven largely by lower emissions in buildings/energy and transportation; staff said more aggressive local programs and funding will be required to meet the city's 50% reduction by 2030 target.
Kenmore's Climate Action Program staff presented an updated greenhouse-gas inventory for calendar year 2023 showing an estimated 144,491 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, roughly 15% lower than the 2019 baseline.
The inventory attributes the largest share of community emissions to buildings and energy (57%), followed by on-road transportation and mobile sources. Staff reported per-capita emissions fell from about 7.3 metric tons per person in 2019 to just under 6 metric tons in 2023 even while the city's population grew by about 3.9% in the period.
Climate staff cautioned that multiple external factors influence emissions numbers, including the regional electricity supply mix and federal/state policies. The department emphasized that while the inventory shows progress, Kenmore remains short of the 50% reduction by 2030 target established in its Climate Action Plan; staff recommended ramping up local programs and sustained funding to close the gap.
Planned and proposed local actions discussed included: - Energy and buildings: a second Solarize Kenmore outreach campaign; exploring expanded municipal rooftop solar; and continued focus on weatherization and energy-efficiency programs, particularly for residential customers. - Government operations: accelerating planned replacements of roughly 1,000 halogen streetlights with LED fixtures (estimated large energy reduction for operational emissions) and continued work to transition the city fleet toward electric vehicles in coordination with an EV infrastructure plan. - Transportation: advancing EV charging infrastructure in the public right-of-way and promoting non-auto modes to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Staff noted several data and methodology caveats: some private industrial emissions data were not available or disclosed; scaled regional datasets were used for portions of the inventory (Puget Sound Regional Council/King County data); and COVID-era 2021 numbers were excluded because they distorted trends.
Council members asked technical questions about how much of the reduction might be attributable to cleaner electricity supplies (CETA compliance by the utility), local vehicle electrification versus lower vehicle miles traveled, and gaps in transit and industrial emissions data. Staff said that more granular local data would improve accuracy but that the overall trend and the policy implications'the need for more local action'were robust.
The city will publish a public fact sheet summarizing the 2023 inventory and will explore a public-facing dashboard to track metrics (inventory results, tree canopy and other climate-action indicators). Staff said the next biennial inventory will begin in 2026, using 2025 data where available.
