Emissions Reduction Goals and Progress
Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability and climate action, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets us apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets.
80x30 Goal
In 2016, City Council adopted an emissions reduction target of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal). This science-based target represents our fair share of the global emissions reductions that would be needed to achieve three goals: halve emissions by 2030, reach global net zero by 2050, and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Carbon Neutrality Goal
In 2022, Council adopted an ambitious carbon neutral by 2030 goal to build on existing the emissions reduction goals. Carbon neutrality means taking steps to achieve net zero emissions by reducing the amount of GHGs emitted then "offsetting" remaining emissions using carbon removal and storage methods such as new forest growth. For Palo Alto, this means continuing to reduce our emissions to at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and offsetting remaining emissions. Learn more here about the City's carbon neutral energy.
Progress Towards Meeting These Goals
The City has made significant strides toward reaching its sustainability goals, and is proactively meeting and surpassing State goals. The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) 2017 Scoping Plan Update recommends local governments achieve a goal of 6 MT CO2e per capita by 2030. Palo Alto met this goal in 2020, ten years prior to CARB's recommended target.
The City is also on track to meet the State emissions reduction goal. In 2022, Palo Alto emitted an estimated 410,157 metric tons (MT) or carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from the residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, waste, water, and municipal sectors. In comparison to the 1990 base year emissions of 780,119 MT CO2e, that is a 47.4% percent decrease in total community emissions, despite a population increase of 21.3 percent during that same time period. This equates to 6.1 MT CO2e per Palo Alto resident in 2021 compared to 14 MT CO2e per Palo Alto resident in 1990. When carbon offsets are included, the City has achieved a net decrease of 66% compared to 1990 emissions.
Explore More Sustainability Accomplishments
Find out more about the City's sustainability progress below. Palo Alto residents and businesses are also key to meeting our ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and sustainability goals. Celebrate what your neighbors have done to participate and share your own sustainability practices on the Sustainability Hub!