Indicators: Greenhouse gas emissions

On October 12, 2022, the CMAP Board approved an update to the ON TO 2050 long-range plan, including an updated indicators appendix.

This indicator measures the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced in the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) region. Greenhouse gas emissions are calculated using the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC) BASIC methodology, which includes all emission from buildings, solid waste, wastewater, and intraregional transportation. Emissions are reported in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO₂e).

Targets

GO TO 2040 sought to reduce the region’s greenhouse gases by 80 percent, relative to 1990 levels, by the year 2050. This goal is consistent with the stabilization pathway, which is an emissions pathway designed to limit global warming to 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit).

CMAP is reaffirming this commitment to the stabilization pathway with ON TO 2050. Because the inventory methodology has changed significantly since the GO TO 2040 indicator was created, the targets have been revised accordingly.*

2025: 91.2 MMTCO₂e or less

2050: 25.7 MMTCO₂e or less

*These targets have been updated to reflect the methodology of the most recent greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which follows the GPC Basic protocol. For more information on how 1990 emissions were calculated, please see this methodology document.

Indicator

Greenhouse gas emissions

Key

•   Actual
•   Target

Source

2015 Chicago Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.

See Indicators Appendix for methodology

GO TO 2040 context

The methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions has been updated to follow the GPC Protocol since GO TO 2040 was adopted. While this makes the data difficult to compare from one plan to the next, the targets remained essentially unchanged. Total emissions peaked in 2005 and have been declining since then. GO TO 2040 set a 2015 target of 119 MMTCO₂e, which was 13 MMTCO₂e below the 2005 value; according to the GPC Protocol calculations, emissions between 2005 and 2015 decreased by 11.4 MMTCO₂e, which is behind the targeted pace but only slightly.