Green Communities

The Sierra Business Council is working together with local government jurisdictions in our region to develop greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) inventories, and eventually climate action plans, to build capacity for addressing the effects of climate change.  This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. 

Project Overview

Through PG&E’s Green Communities Program, Sierra Business Council will assist local governments in the Sierra Nevada in meeting statewide goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). Growing awareness of the impacts of climate change on California communities along with state mandates has led to the need for climate action planning. Green Communities is a multi-phase program aimed at supporting local governments in that process.

• Phase 1 - Municipal GHGE Inventory: The first phase of the program is to inventory GHGEs from local government operations, such as facility electricity and natural gas usage, fuel consumed by municipal vehicle fleets, etc.
•  Phase 2 - Community-wide GHGE Inventory: The second phase is to inventory GHGEs from community wide activities, such as residential, commercial, and industrial electricity and natural gas usage, community wastewater treatment plants, transportation mileage within the geographical boundary of the jurisdiction, etc.
• Phase 3 – Climate Action Plan: The third phase is to develop Climate Action Plans using the Phase 1 and 2 inventories as a baseline. A CAP is intended to provide collaborative, local decision-making on how the jurisdiction is to achieve significant emissions reduction targets. 

Phase 1 was completed in June 2011, and assisted 16 local governments in the Sierra Nevada to prepare GHGE inventories for municipal operations. SBC is currently working with 17 local governments on Phase 2, developing community-wide GHGE inventories.  Phase 3, climate action plans, will kick off in the summer of 2012.

A greenhouse gas emissions inventory is an important first step in a jurisdiction’s climate protection initiative.  Quantifying emissions establishes a baseline against which to measure future progress and develops an understanding of the scale of emissions from the various sources within government operations.  Local governments can dramatically reduce the emissions from their government operations by such measures as increasing energy efficiency in facilities and vehicle fleets, utilizing renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and conserving water.  The co-benefits of these measures may include lower energy bills, improved air quality and more efficient government operations.  And, equally if not more important, is that completing the greenhouse emissions inventory demonstrates to state agencies that the jurisdiction is moving forward on state goals.

Through this program, SBC will work closely with Sierra Nevada local governments to provide professional training to their staff and to assist them in preparing greenhouse gas emissions inventories for both municipal operations and community-wide activities. SBC will be employing community interns to accomplish the bulk of the work. The program will use the Local Government Operations Protocol along with the International Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Protocol as the guidance for how the inventories are to be conducted. The goal of these documents is to provide local governments with a technically sound and consistent quantification methodology to develop GHGE inventories, establish a baseline, and track progress over time.

Project Objectives

• Work with Local Governments throughout the Sierra Nevada to proactively meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals; assisting Local Governments to lead by example
• Provide comprehensive tools and resources for baseline greenhouse gas  emission inventories to local governments and community interns in the Sierra Nevada
• Provide local governments with a inventory baseline to be used to monitor and reduce their energy usage and overall greenhouse gas emissions
• Increase capacity within the workforce, preparing community interns with valuable skills and experiences beneficial in the green job sector
• Prepare Local Government staff members for potential state regulations by providing training throughout the entire process, instructions on how to collect and analyze the data, and providing access to ICLEI resources; minimizing staff time and resources in the future
• Develop county- and city-wide greenhouse gas inventory reports, which can eventually be used in the development of comprehensive energy/climate action planning tools
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to energy usage in the Sierra Nevada while promoting sustainable economic development, social fairness, and long term environmental quality
• Implement the vision of the CA Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan in the Sierra Nevada

Project Process
Sierra Business Council has enrolled 16 local governments in Phase 1, and 17 local governments in Phase 2 to participate in the program and take part in the trainings provided by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. SBC will recruit and manage the interns, who will participate in the training along with the local government staff.  The interns are paired with selected local government staff participants, providing additional staffing support needed to conduct data collections, analysis, emissions inventory development and a final, comprehensive report.

Following completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Green Communities Program, the jurisdiction will be eligible (depending on funding) to participate in the final phase, the development of a Climate Action Plan. 

For more information email Program Manager Nicholas Martin or call 530.582.4800.