The Southern Indiana Regional Climate Alliance’s Project 46 has released new findings on greenhouse gas emissions in the region. The 2022 Inventory of Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions and High Impact Actions Analysis, prepared with Farallon Strategies and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, identifies the main sources of emissions and outlines key measures to reduce them.
According to the City of Bloomington news release, in 2022, the region produced 4.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Gasoline and diesel vehicles made up 35 percent of emissions, followed by electricity at 20 percent and natural gas used in residential and commercial buildings at 15 percent. Under current conditions, which include improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and grid modernization, the region is projected to cut emissions by 33 percent by 2030. Implementing additional high-impact actions could increase the reduction to 39 percent.
Three strategies are highlighted as the most effective: increasing electric vehicle use, upgrading energy efficiency in buildings, and diverting waste from landfills to composting and recycling. Project 46’s findings arrive as the Midwest faces changing climate conditions, such as inconsistent agricultural patterns and rising temperatures. Coordinated efforts could support both environmental and economic progress. The 2022 Inventory report is available on the climate information website for more details.
Project 46 is a collaboration of Bloomington, Nashville, and Columbus, focusing on climate issues in Monroe, Brown, and Bartholomew counties. The group aims to identify and implement solutions that address shared challenges related to climate change.
