Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
One of the Truckee Town Council’s priorities is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and become a leader in environmental sustainability, and the Town conducts regular GHG emissions inventories to track progress towards these goals.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals
The Town of Truckee has adopted the following GHG emissions reduction goals (relative to a 2008 baseline), which were updated on March 11, 2025:
- 40% reduction by 2030
- 80% reduction by 2040
- Carbon neutrality by 2045
These reduction goals apply to both community-wide and municipal operations emissions, though the Town will strive to achieve these targets sooner for municipal operations (such as Town-owned buildings and fleet vehicles). Read the Staff Report for the 2025 Update to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction and Renewable Energy Goals for more information on the adopted goals.
GHG Inventories
The Town tracks progress towards these goals through regular GHG inventories. A GHG inventory is a comprehensive assessment that quantifies emissions released by human activities within a defined area or by a specific source. Inventories help track progress towards emissions reduction goals and identify areas for improvement. To see the latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory results and interactive dashboards visit the pages linked below.
Municipal Operations
Truckee’s municipal operations represent a small share of total community emissions, but they play a big role in setting the standard for climate leadership. The Town is committed to leading by example through ambitious emissions reductions in public facilities, fleet operations, and procurement practices.
The Town of Truckee is committed to conducting annual inventories for municipal operations, allowing the Town to:
- Track emissions across departments and facilities
- Identify high-impact opportunities for reduction
- Report transparently on progress toward targets
Inventory Scope and Methodology
The Town’s municipal operations GHG inventory includes emissions from four sectors:
- Buildings & Facilities: energy use from Town-owned facilities and infrastructure
- Vehicle Fleet: fuel used in Town-owned vehicles and equipment
- Solid Waste: emissions created from the disposal of waste generated at Town-owned facilities or from Town operations
- Employee Commute: emissions from Town employees
These sectors are included because they represent sources of GHG emissions that are directly or indirectly under the Town’s operational control. The emissions included in the inventory and the calculations follow the Local Government Operations Protocol established by the California Air Resources Board, the California Climate Registry, and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).
Interactive Dashboard
The Town of Truckee has partnered with nZero to develop an interactive GHG Emissions Dashboard to track emissions from building energy use and fleet vehicle fuel. This dashboard is updated monthly, and provides detail about municipal operations emissions since January 2021.
GHG Inventory Reports
Click on the links below to download the full reports for the Town’s municipal operations GHG inventories. Beginning with 2022, the Town of Truckee plans to conduct annual GHG inventories. Due to delays in data availability, inventory reports are usually completed 12-15 months after the end of a calendar year.
Current Progress
Key areas where the Town is reducing emissions from municipal operations include:
- Facilities: improving energy efficiency in town buildings and converting to electric systems powered by renewable sources
- Fleet: transitioning to electric and low-emission vehicles for town services and operations
- Procurement: integrating climate criteria into purchasing decisions for equipment, vehicles, and services
- Renewable Energy: procuring clean electricity and exploring onsite generation opportunities were feasible
Community-Wide
Tracking community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions provides an opportunity for the Truckee community to recognize the local sources and activities contributing to global climate change. Conducting GHG emissions inventories helps both the Town and the community understand how to reduce emissions and informs decision-making on local programs and policies. These inventories track GHG emissions associated with activities and sources within the Town’s jurisdictional boundary.
Priority Areas for Action
The largest opportunities for community-wide impact are:
- Transportation: This is the single largest source of emissions in Truckee. Strategies include expanding public transit, supporting electric vehicle adoption, and promoting walkable, bikeable neighborhoods.
- Energy Use: Strategies include improving energy efficiency of buildings, electrifying equipment that uses fossil fuels, and increasing use of renewable energy.
The Town’s Climate Action Plan, adopted in 2023, outlines the strategy to address community-wide GHG emissions.
Tracking Progress
The Town of Truckee has committed to conducting community-wide GHG inventories at least once every five years.
Truckee’s community-wide GHG emissions inventories are conducted according to the U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, developed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Our inventories include emissions from five sectors: Transportation and Mobile Sources, Residential Energy Use, Commercial Energy Use, Water and Wastewater, and Solid Waste.
Completed GHG inventory reports are linked below: