The Town of Truckee is developing a Climate Action Plan which will outline specific policies and actions the Town and partners will take to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. The Town Council has also set ambitious targets for emissions reduction and renewable energy for the community, those goals are as follows: 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2040, 100% renewable electricity by 2030, 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Naturally occurring gases dispersed in the atmosphere influence the Earth’s climate by trapping solar radiation. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. Abundant scientific evidence shows that human activities are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and changing the global climate. The most significant contributor is the burning of fossil fuels for transportation, electricity generation and other purposes, which introduces large amounts of carbon dioxide and other GHGs into the atmosphere. Collectively, these gases intensify the natural greenhouse effect, causing global average surface and lower-atmospheric temperatures to rise.

Reducing fossil fuel use in communities has many benefits in addition to reducing GHG emissions. For example, retrofitting homes and businesses to be more efficient creates local jobs, reduces energy costs, improves air quality, and improves community members’ health. In addition, money not spent on energy is more likely to be spent at local businesses, improving the local economy.

This data is derived from a greenhouse gas inventory that is conducted on behalf of the Town by a consultant specializing in carbon accounting and GHG quantification. Nationally-recognized protocols are used to define the methodology by which the GHG emissions are estimated, and can be found here:

• Local government operations emissions: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/protocols/localgov/localgov.htm 
• Community-wide emissions: https://icleiusa.org/publications/us-community-protocol/