Charleston county

GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY

Arielle Gerstein, Sustainability Coordinator
September 14, 2022
What does a greenhouse
gas inventory measure?
The amount of greenhouse gas
01 emissions in a specific geographic
area over a given timeframe.

This inventory measures carbon

02 dioxide equivalent emissions.
What are carbon
dioxide equivalents?
A measurement used to compare the emissions
from various greenhouse gases on the basis of
their global-warming potential (GWP), by converting
amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of
carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

01 GWP = 1

Methane (CH₄)
02 GWP = 28

Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

03 GWP = 265
More about greenhouse gases

Fluorinated Gases
How long do they stay in the atmosphere? Nitrous Oxide 3%
7%

Methane
Carbon
Carbon
= Thousands of years 11%
Dioxide
Dioxide

01
Methane = One decade

Nitrous
= More than 100 years
Oxide Carbon Dioxide
79%
How do greenhouse gases
affect the climate?

Naturally occurring gases dispersed in the atmosphere

determine the Earth’s climate by trapping solar
radiation. This phenomenon is known as the
greenhouse effect.

Overwhelming evidence shows that human activities are

increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases and
changing the global climate. Collectively, these gases
intensify the natural greenhouse effect, causing global
average surface and lower atmospheric temperatures
to rise.
What is included in the
inventory?

Timeframe • 2018 & 2020

• Charleston County
Geography • Charleston County government operations
01 • All municipalities within the County

• Buildings • Carbon Sequestration*

Sectors • Fleet**
• Transportation
• Waste • Employee Commute**

* Charleston County only

** Charleston County government operations only
Why include cities & towns?
Charleston County only has jurisdiction over
unincorporated areas in the County.

However, greenhouse gas emissions are not

contained by geographic boundaries so it's
important we all collaborate on climate
action.

This inventory provides each municipality

baseline emissions data if they are interested
in future reductions planning.
 Countywide vs. Government Annual GHG Emissions
Key Findings
5,000,000
2018 to 2020:
4,500,000

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

Countywide: 18% decrease
4,000,000

Government: 3% increase 3,500,000

All municipalities: 16 to 35% decrease 3,000,000

2,500,000
Charleston County has a lower
2,000,000
GHG emissions per capita (10.06)
than the U.S average (12.98) 1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

0
2018 Basline 2020
Countywide Government
Countywide Inventory Countywide GHG Emissions by Sector

Buildings
3,000,000

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

• Data type: residential, commercial, and industrial
energy use (kWh and therms)
2,500,000
• Data source: Dominion, Berkeley Electric
Cooperative, and Santee Cooper

Transportation 2,000,000

• Data type: for vehicles: vehicle miles traveled, fuel

type; for buses: gallons of fueled used 1,500,000
• Data source: Google Environmental Insights Explorer,
BCDCOG (CARTA)
1,000,000
Waste
• Data type: tons of waste landfilled, tons of waste
500,000
composted
• Data source: County Dept. of Environmental Mgmt

0
Carbon Sequestration 2018 2020
• Data type: carbon dioxide equivalent emission
-500,000
removals
• Data source: Land Emissions and Removals Navigator
(LEARN) tool Buildings Transportation Solid Waste Greenbelt
 Countywide GHG Emissions by Source
Countywide Inventory
5,000,000

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

Buildings
• Electricity
4,000,000
• Natural Gas
• Other - Distillate Fuel Oil No. 2

Transportation 3,000,000

• Gas & Diesel

2,000,000
Waste
• Methane
1,000,000
Carbon Sequestration
• Not included in this graph
0
2018 2020
Electricity Natural Gas Gas & Diesel Methane Other
Countywide Inventory - Buildings
Countywide GHG Emissions from Buildings

1,200,000
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

03 0
Residential Commercial Industrial Residential Commercial Industrial

2018 2020

Electricity Natural Gas

 Countywide Inventory - Transportation
Countywide GHG Emissions from Transportation

1,400,000

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0
2018 2020
Gas Diesel
 Countywide Inventory - Waste
Countywide GHG Emissions from Waste
120,000
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

03
0
2018 2020
Landfill Yard Waste
 Countywide Inventory -
Carbon Sequestration

What is carbon The process of capturing

and storing atmospheric
sequestration? carbon dioxide.

• Through Charleston County's Greenbelt Program, the County

has 160,000 acres of protected land.
• Some of this land is forested which captures carbon.

59,034 Carbon
MtCO₂e Sequestered
 Charleston County Energy Supply Mix
2013 Mix 2020 Mix
Other Renewables/Purchases
10%
Nuclear Coal
15% 21%

Hydroelectric
3%
Nuclear
22%

Natural Gas/Oil Coal

21% 60%
Hydroelectric
2%

Natural Gas/Oil
45%
Municipalities Inventory
Buildings
• Data type: residential, commercial, and
industrial energy use (kWh and therms)
• Data source: Dominion, Berkeley Electric
Cooperative

Transportation
• Data type: vehicle miles traveled, fuel type;
for smaller municipalities, weighted by
population
• Data source: Google Environmental
Insights Explore

Waste
• Data type: tons of waste landfilled
weighted by population
• Data source: County Dept. of
Environmental Management
Municipalities Inventory
Per Capita Greenhouse
Municipality Per Capita Per Capita % Change
Gas Emissions, Higher Emission, 2018 Emission, 2020

Kiawah Island 16.6 12.9 -19%

Isle of Palms 15.3 12.9 -16%

North Charleston 14.6 12.3 -16%

Unincorporated 12.7 11.2 -12%

Folly Beach 13.2 11.1 -16%

Seabrook Island 14.0 10.9 -22%

Meggett 11.4 10.3 -10%

Sullivan's Island 14.0 10.9 -22%

McClellanville 12.0 9.4 -22%

Municipalities Inventory
Per Capita Greenhouse
Gas Emissions, Lower Municipality Per Capita Per Capita % Change
Emission, 2018 Emission, 2020

Mount Pleasant 10.2 8.4 -18%

James Island 9.8 8.0 -18%

Hollywood 9.7 7.9 -19%

Rockville 9.6 7.7 -21%

Ravenel 8.5 7.0 -17%

Awendaw 9.2 6.4 -30%

Lincolnville 9.2 6.0 -35%

Charleston 9.0 N/A N/A

Municipalities Inventory GHG Emissions by Municipality
All Other Cities/Towns
7.1%
Unincorporated
7.9%
Charleston
29%

Mount Pleasant
18.6%

James Island
2.6%

North
Charleston
34.8%
 Government Wide
Government Wide GHG Emissions by Sector
Inventory
140,000
County Buildings

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

• Data type: commercial energy use (kWh and therms) 120,000
• Data source: Dominion, Berkeley Electric Cooperative

Fleet 100,000

• Data type: vehicle miles traveled, fuel type, and

annual fuel use 80,000
• Data source: County Fleet Operations

60,000
Employee Commute
• Data type: vehicle miles traveled, fuel type, airplane 40,000
miles traveled
• Data source: employee commute survey, all County
departments with air travel 20,000

Solid Waste 0
• Data type: tons of waste landfilled, tons of waste 2018 2020
composted Solid Waste Buildings Fleet Employee Commute
• Data source: County Dept. of Environmental Mgmt
 Government Wide Inventory - Buildings
Government Wide GHG Emissions from Buildings
14,000

12,000
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000
03
0
2018 2020
Electricity Natural Gas
 Government Wide Inventory - Fleet
Government Wide GHG Emissions from Fleet
9,000

8,000
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

03
1,000

0
2018 2020
Gas Diesel Jet Fuel
Government Wide Inventory - Employee Commute
Government Wide GHG Emissions from Employee Commute
5,000

Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

4,500

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0
2018 2020
Driving Flying
Countywide Inventory - Solid Waste
Countywide GHG Emissions from Waste
140,000

120,000
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e)

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000
03
0
2018 2020
Landfill Compost
Now we have baseline greenhouse
gas emissions.

What's next?
Climate Action Planning

01 Create Resilience & Sustainability Advisory

Committee

02 02 sector-specific volunteer workgroups

Create

03 Hire consultant

04 Create emission reduction goals

Plan activities/programs to meet

05 reduction goals
Climate Action Planning Status

01 Create Climate Action Advisory Committee -

02
proposed ordinance going through three
readings

02 Create sector-specific volunteer workgroups -

ongoing engagement

Hire consultant - request for proposal (RFP)

03 complete; in the evaluation phase
 Volunteer Workgroups

01 Buildings
02
02 Transportation

03 Waste

03 Carbon Sinks
Questions?

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