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On June 4 the Energy and Sustainability Committee welcomed Kim Lundgren Associates and EcoDataLab to present their findings from their Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Consumption-Based Emissions Inventory. The presentation provided data and estimates on emissions in Sudbury, and recommendations to reduce those emissions going forward.
They found that Sudbury’s 2021 geographic emissions were roughly equivalent to half of a fossil gas power plant. The presenters warned that comparison to other communities is not apples-to-apples because Sudbury’s inventory included refrigerant leakage.
Here is the emissions breakdown by sector:
And here is the breakdown of emissions by source:
The municipal share of emissions was just 2.7% of the total, but that was characterized as fairly typical.
As for paths forward, the consultants recommended weatherization and electrification of virtually all homes in Sudbury by 2040. They also recommended transitioning to 100% zero-emissions vehicles by 2050. Broadly speaking, the concept is to support a community-wide effort to transition to electric for buildings and transportation, while making use of available programs and incentives to do so.
In a bit of bad-but-not-unexpected news: the consumption-based inventory revealed that Sudbury’s average household emissions were approximately 50% higher than the national average. The consultants explained that it was not surprising given the higher incomes and larger homes in Sudbury.
The recommendations to reduce consumption-based emissions were largely the same: vehicle and building electrification. But they also recommended reducing consumption of meat and dairy, and preventing food waste.
The next step is a presentation of the findings and recommendations to the Select Board in late June.