Ellen Beckmann, DCHC MPO/City of Durham

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Sustainability Initiatives in the Durham-Chapel
Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization

• Ellen Beckmann, DCHC MPO/City of Durham
• David Stancil, Orange County
• January 8, 2008

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DCHC MPO
You Are Here
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Why Act?

• Air Quality Non-Attainment
• Promote Multi-Modal Transportation
• Local Greenhouse Gas Initiatives
• Environmentally Aware Community

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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

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Greenhouse Gas Local Action Plans

• Used Federal Transportation Planning Funds and
  Local Government Matching Funds
• Consultant ICLEI Energy Services

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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

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Durham Greenhouse Gas Plan

• Baseline Year 2005
• Target Year 2030

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Local Government Inventory
Durhams Local Government Total GHG Emissions for
2005 were 158,710 tons
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Local Government 2030 Forecast
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Local Government Operations Target

• Reduce emissions
• 50
• by 2030

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Community Inventory
Total Community Emissions in 2005 for Durham
were 6,837,430 tons of GHGs
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Community 2030 Forecast
48
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2005 ? 2030
Population 241,472 ? 328,573 36 Vehicle
Miles Traveled 3.2 Billion ? 5.3 Billion 63
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Community Target

• Reduce emissions 30 by 2030 through local,
  state, and federal action

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Implementation

• Staff Resources
• City-County Green Team
• City-County Sustainability Manager
• Education and Outreach
• Policies and Programs
• Monitoring of Progress

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Orange County NC

• Countywide (inter-jurisdictional) GHG Study and
  Action Plan underway
• Working through Barriers to Reductions
• Other Sustainable Community Initiatives

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Status of GHG Plan

• Baseline year 2005
• Target Year 2030
• Inventory of emissions completed
• Possible Reduction Measures Identified
• Considering Target Reduction and Implementation
  Measures

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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?

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Other Activities

• Environmental Responsibility Goal
• Environmental Stewardship Action Committee
• Aggressive Recycling (61 waste reduction)

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Other Initiatives

• County Conservation Policies
• Energy Use
• Vehicles
• Water Use (Reuse)
• H2Orange
• Lands Legacy Program