By Paul Roberts / For The Herald
The goal of the Paris climate accord is to limit warming to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The target to meet that goal is reducing greenouse gases 50 percent by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. Speed matters, and one of the keys to success may be in our own backyard: the Puget Sound region.
To reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) we need to look at where and how they are generated. Carbon dioxide (CO2) represents 79 percent of all GHGs and is primarily generated in urban areas — cities — from transportation and buildings. Methane (represents 11.5 percent of all GHGs and is primarily generated from agriculture and natural gas extraction; fracking.
Reducing GHGs at the source is the most effective and efficient way to lower emissions. Once released, CO2 is absorbed into the oceans and air where it remains for between 300 to 1,000 years. Methane’s lifetime in the atmosphere is much shorter than CO2 — about 12 years on average — but it is 28 times more effective at trapping heat.
Metroplexes — cities of the world — are the building blocks for successfully reducing GHGs. Cities and surrounding suburbs are where the largest amount of carbon dioxide is generated. The sources are transportation (cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships and planes), and buildings (industrial, HVAC and construction).
Developing best practices in urban and agricultural areas, and exporting those practices, could have dramatic impacts: accelerating mitigation measures, systematically reducing GHGs, and meeting the Paris targets. But how is that done in urban settings?
According to the most recent figures from the United Nations, for the first time in human history over 50 percent of the world’s population lives in an urban environment. That is expected to increase to 60 percent by 2030. There are 512 cities with a population of at least 1 million. The Puget Sound metropolitan area — including Seattle, Tacoma and Everett — is one of them, with 4 million people.
Megacities are cities with a population of 10 million or more. Of the 512 cities worldwide, there are only 31 megacities. Tokyo is the largest with over 38 million and New York ranks 10th with over 18 million.
Examples of best practices for cities to reduce CO2 include: linking land use and transportation, building more compact cities not dependent on automobiles, developing cool cities (as in temperature) with more trees and vegetation, promoting non-motorized transportation and clean energy vehicles (EVs), developing mass transit systems powered by electricity and energy efficient HVAC systems for buildings. Cities are also centers for sustainable economic development, clean energy and jobs, and smart electricity grids.
Every city is unique in terms of leadership, geography, economy, demographics, financial and natural resources. Political leadership is essential to move toward a zero-emission economy. Developing, incentivizing and exporting best practices will help direct resources toward accelerating the reduction of GHGs and meeting targets.
The Puget Sound region — King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap Counties and cities within — is fortunate to have strong leadership committed to address climate change and sustainability. The region and the state of Washington are at the forefront nationally and globally in tackling climate change.
The Puget Sound region is served by two organizations essential to leading efforts reducing GHGs: the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).
PSCAA is a special-purpose regional government created by the Legislature to administer and enforce air quality regulations based on federal and state Clean Air Acts. Clean air laws include monitoring and regulating air pollutants and GHG emissions. PSCAA’s mission is to promote public health related to air quality in the four-county region. In January of this year, the agency adopted the “2030 Strategic Plan” which includes addressing climate change, air pollution and particulates from diesel emissions and wood smoke.
The PSRC is a regional transportation planning body covering the same four counties. PSRC’s mission is to coordinate transportation and land use planning, and allocate state and federal transportation funds to the region. In 2020, PSRC adopted “Vision 2050,” a plan for the Puget Sound region including 86 local governments; four counties and the cities and Tribal governments located within. Vision 2050 anticipates the region’s population to be 5.8 million with 3.8 million jobs by 2050.
The two agencies have been coordinating their work for years. However, in the past five years, they have increased these efforts, working more closely to align coordination of transportation and land use to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions and improve public health. Vision 2050 adopted a “Climate Change Goal: The region substantially reduces emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change in accordance with the goals of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050) and prepares for climate change impacts.”
These efforts have paid off in terms of directing federal and state funding for transportation and land use to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions and increase economic development toward a zero-emission economy. Regions are essential building blocks for success in addressing climate change and meeting the Paris targets. This is happening in our backyard, and it is exportable to the rest of the world.
To be sure, much more needs to be done, and faster. However, these are significant steps and promise real results.
Paul Roberts is retired and lives in Everett. His career spans over five decades in infrastructure, economics and environmental policy including advising Washington cities on climate change. He served as chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency board where he led efforts to coordinate work between PSCAA and Puget Sound Regional Council.
Eco-nomics
“Eco-nomics” is a series of articles exploring issues at the intersection of climate change and economics. Climate change (global warming) is caused by greenhouse gas emissions — carbon dioxide and methane chiefly — generated by human activities, primarily burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices. Global warming poses an existential threat to the planet. Successfully responding to this threat requires urgent actions — clear plans and actionable strategies — to rapidly reduce GHG emissions and adapt to climate-influenced events.
The Eco-nomics series, to be published every other week in The Herald, is focusing on mitigation and adaptation strategies viewed through the twin perspectives of science and economics.
Read the series thus far at tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics1, tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics2, tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics3, tinyurl.com/RobertsEconomics4, tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics5, tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics6, tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics7 and tinyurl.com/RobertsEco-nomics8
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