Greenhouse Gases Inventory & Forecast

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What are Greenhouse Gases and Why Inventory Them?

Greenhouse Gases trap heat in our atmosphere. Some examples are carbon dioxide, methane, and fluorinated gases. Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the environment, but human technologies and behaviors have increased emissions of these gases to levels that threaten to upset the existing balance of nature and disturb human welfare on a global scale.

Excess greenhouse gas emissions are sometimes referred to as “carbon pollution” and the act of changing technologies or behaviors to reduce or eliminate carbon pollution is referred to as “decarbonization”.

Understanding Lower Merion Township’s current conditions allows the Township government, residents, businesses, and institutions to focus limited resources on strategies which deliver significant environmental benefits. Lower Merion Township Resolution 2021-16, adopted in May 2021, established goals for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to carbon-free equipment and energy sources.

In August 2021, the Lower Merion Township Sustainability Planning Project commenced. The goals set in Resolution 2021-16 were incorporated, as were takeaways from extensive research and community engagement. Benchmarking and forecasting Lower Merion's greenhouse gas emissions was crucial to creating informed goals and strategies.

In September 2022, Township-wide greenhouse gas benchmarking and forecasting was completed as part of the Sustainability Planning Project. See the Municipal and Community Greenhouse Gas Benchmarking Reports, or explore the Sustainability Plan for more about climate change, greenhouse gases, and Lower Merion's strategies to reduce our emissions and achieve a sustainable future!

GHG Inventory

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) is the unit of measurement for Global Warming Potential (GWP). The unit CO₂e represents an amount of a GHG whose atmospheric impact has been standardized to that of one unit mass of carbon dioxide based on the GWP of the gas.