Community Emissions

Community emissions is the sum of emissions created by natural gas combustion, vehicle-related (“mobile”) combustion, electricity generation (served by Puget Sound Energy), and waste disposal practices for the entire community of Redmond. NOTE: This does include emissions from City government operations; more detail is contained in the separate Government Operations tab. Metric tonnes (also known as metric tons) is the common international unit for emissions, often written as “metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent” (MTCO2e). This unit converts all greenhouse gases into the equivalent of one tonne of CO2 and accounts for the lifespan and potency of that particular gas to trap heat in the atmosphere.

Community Total

This graph shows trends over time and includes commercial, industrial and residential electricity and natural gas usage, vehicle miles traveled, compost and waste emissions. This figure does not include any municipal emissions. Note that the data in this figure should be viewed as a best estimate using available data rather than an exact metric. Emissions data is calculated using raw utility data converted to emission estimates. This conversion is done with an EPA program called eGRID which calculates emission conversions that are regionally specific. For more information about eGRID visit: https://tinyurl.com/eGRIDemissionfactors. The BLUE target line depicts Redmond’s 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. This goal is based on a 25% reduction in the city’s 2008 baseline emissions.

Redmond Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Per Redmond Resident

In 2016, the population for Redmond was approximately 60,560; on average that year, each resident produced 13.1 metric tonnes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs). King County’s “geographic plus” emissions in 2008 were reported as 12.4 metric tonnes per capita. See: https://tinyurl.com/KingCountyInventory2008, Table 3. The BLUE target line shows the City’s goal of 25% reduction from 2008 translated into a Redmond per capita emissions level by 2020, 16.6 tonnes eCO2. The data presented in this figure include all residential, commercial and industrial emissions divided by the number of residents of Redmond, and do not depict GHG offsets from programs that can help prevent carbon emissions (e.g. recycling or composting instead of landfilling it, etc.).

Redmond Greenhouse Gas Emissions Per Capita

Redmond Community Emissions

Typically transportation (mobile combustion) accounts for the vast majority of a community-wide emissions portfolio for most Lake Washington cities. For Redmond, it is the commercial energy sector. Transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the electricity sector, approximately 1/3 of the power served by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is generated, on average, by an out of state coal-fired power station. This is responsible for a disproportionate amount GHGs in the region, and is an arena in which the City of Redmond, along with its K4C partners, is working vigorously to expedite both the closure of the power station and replacement with cleaner energy sources. In the transportation sector, SOV usage (i.e. solo commuters) is the area with the greatest potential for improvement. Solutions such as carpooling, bike infrastructure, and mass transit will help reduce per capita emissions from transportation.

K4C

City of Redmond Sustainability Dashboard