Sustainability

When it comes to addressing climate change and pollution, Duluth aims to lead by example. Mayor Larson has committed the City of Duluth to meeting the standards set through the Paris Agreement, which means that by 2050, the city plans to make an 80% reduction in our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, based on our 2008 levels. This will be accomplished through:

• Energy conservation
• Renewable energy implementation
• Adapting our infrastructure to our changing climate
• Supporting multi-modal transportation
• Care of natural areas and open spaces

Duluth’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in municipal operations are led by the Sustainability department in collaboration with the Energy Team. Learn more about city initiatives in the tabs on the left and get a snapshot of our GHG emissions and projects below.

The graph below shows City Municipal Emissions of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, which are represented as carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent or CO2e). We use CO2e so we can easily compare our emissions from year to year. The calculations are based on Duluth's energy use data (electricity, natural gas, and gasoline/diesel use) that is uploaded into the Clear Path greenhouse gas calculator from ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability). Clear Path employs emissions standards set by the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC). By combining GPC with our unique city data, Clear Path ensures the City of Duluth has the most accurate emissions calculations possible.

2008 is our baseline emissions year and was calculated by Wenck Associates, Inc. This baseline is what we compare current emission levels to, to measure the success of our carbon reduction strategies. The 1996 carbon inventory was also calculated using ICLEI's Clear Path tool, and it reveals that the City of Duluth's greenhouse gas emissions remained relatively steady until establishment of an energy fund and prioritizing emissions reductions.

Comparison of CO2e by sector and year over all official inventories

Year	Buildings and Facilities	Street Lights and Traffic Signals	Vehicle Fleet	Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities
1996	9,849	6,485	4,097	18,612
2008	9,869	5,884	3,330	19,983
2016	5,530	3,440	4,345	7,762
2017	5,818	5,041	4,346	8,754
2018	5,845	3,893	4,270	7,672
2019	5,563	2,254	4,346	7,540

 

Past Projects