Ellen Beckmann, DCHC MPO/City of Durham

David Stancil, Orange County

January 8, 2008

Sustainability Initiatives in the

Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization

DCHC MPO

You Are Here

Why Act?

• Air Quality Non-Attainment

• Promote Multi-Modal Transportation

• Local Greenhouse Gas Initiatives

• Environmentally Aware Community

Sustainability Initiatives

• DCHC MPO 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan– 54% of Plan Cost for Rail, Bus, Bicycle, and

Pedestrian Projects

• Durham County and Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Local Action Plans

• Local Government Initiatives

Greenhouse Gas Local Action Plans

• Used Federal Transportation Planning Funds and Local Government Matching Funds

• Consultant: ICLEI Energy Services

Two Greenhouse Gas Plans

• Durham County– City of Durham

• Orange County – Town of Chapel Hill– Town of Carrboro– Town of Hillsborough

• Common consultants, data providers, protocol, base years, forecast years, etc.

• Plan targets will be used in the DCHC MPO 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan

Baseline Year = 2005

Target Year = 2030

Durham Greenhouse Gas Plan

Local Government Inventory

Durham’s Local Government Total GHG Emissions for 2005 were:

158,710 tons

Local Government 2030 Forecast

+5%

Local Government Operations Target

Reduce emissions

50%

by 2030

Community Inventory

Total Community Emissions in 2005 for Durham were:

6,837,430 tons of GHGs

Community 2030 Forecast

10,084,260

6,837,430

0 2,000,000 4,000,000 6,000,000 8,000,000 10,000,000 12,000,000

GHGs (t)

2005

2030 Forecast+48%

2005 2030

Population

241,472 328,573

+36%

Vehicle Miles Traveled

3.2 Billion 5.3 Billion

+63%

Community Target

Reduce emissions 30% by 2030 through local, state,

and federal action

Implementation

Staff Resources

• City-County “Green Team”

• City-County Sustainability Manager

Education and OutreachPolicies and ProgramsMonitoring of Progress

Orange County NC

• Countywide (inter-jurisdictional) GHG Study and Action Plan underway

• Working through Barriers to Reductions

• Other Sustainable Community Initiatives

Status of GHG Plan

• Baseline year = 2005

• Target Year = 2030

• Inventory of emissions completed

• Possible Reduction Measures Identified

• Considering Target Reduction and Implementation Measures

Challenges / Barriers

• Multiple Partners– Four jurisdictions

• Different Tiers of Activity – UNC CRed– Town of Chapel Hill

CRed

• Key Challenge: Translate Countywide inventory and targets into local actions

• How do we know when we have the right “mix’ of measures?

Other Activities

• Environmental Responsibility Goal

• Environmental Stewardship Action Committee

• Aggressive Recycling (61% waste reduction)

Other Initiatives

• County Conservation Policies– Energy Use– Vehicles– Water Use (Reuse)

• “H2Orange”

• Lands Legacy Program