Global Warming Solutions News

Report Finds Higher Emissions Led by Increased Traffic and Electricity Use

Global warming pollution is on the rise and New Hampshire is not on track to meet pollution reduction goals set seven years ago by New England governors, according to a new report released today by environmental groups, scientists and legislative leaders. The study’s authors found that New Hampshire’s global warming emissions have increased 4.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2E), or more than 26 percent, from 2001 to 2005, led by increases in electricity generation and use as well as in vehicular travel.

“If New Hampshire is serious about meeting our commitments and cutting global warming pollution, we need to take strong action now to pass enforceable limits on statewide emissions,” said Doug Bogen, NH Program Director for Clean Water Action. “We are falling behind, and now is the time to catch up.”

The study, Falling Behind: New England Must Act Now to Reduce Global Warming Pollution, is the first of its kind to produce a thorough estimate of global warming emissions for 2005, the most recent year for which full data from the federal government about fuel use, agriculture and waste disposal is available.  The report was produced for the New England Climate Coalition, including over a dozen environmental, healthcare, labor and faith groups in New Hampshire, and it presents global warming emissions figures for each of the New England states.

“Our state leaders have yet to put the brakes on transportation and other emission sources,” said Erika Staaf of Environment New Hampshire. “There are plenty of policies at our fingertips that need to be enacted this year to reduce global warming emissions, including RGGI, appliance efficiency standards and most importantly, a comprehensive state climate action plan. Without strong and swift state action we’ll see emissions continue to rise.”

Across the region, the report found that emissions were 8 million MMTCO2E higher in 2005 than in 2001, when the New England governors signed the Climate Change Action Plan with goals of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 75-85% below 2001 levels by 2050. The increase in global warming emissions has put New Hampshire and the region farther from hitting these targets, which scientists agree are necessary to avoid the worst effects of global warming. To fulfill our commitment and these targets, the region must reduce emissions 10 percent below 2005 levels by 2010 and 19 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Transportation emissions increased by 7 percent between 2001 and 2005, accounting for the largest share of the increase, or 5.1 MMTCO2E. This change primarily reflects greater use of gasoline to fuel cars and light trucks, increased use of diesel fuel for heavy-duty trucks, and expanded consumption of jet fuel.

The good news for New England is that global warming pollution fell slightly from 2004 to 2005—the first year-to-year decrease since 2001—and that several indicators suggest that the decrease in emissions continued and accelerated in 2006. Total emissions in New England dropped 0.6 MMTCO2E between 2004 and 2005, which is 0.3 percent of all New England emissions. In New Hampshire, global warming emissions dropped 0.55 MMTCO2E, or 2 percent, between 2004 and 2005.  Emissions in New Hampshire dropped 0.34 MMTCO2E, or 4 percent, in the transportation sector.  Much less oil was used in electricity generation in this period as well, though it was largely made up for by increases in gas-fired generation.  Preliminary data suggests larger decreases in fossil-fueled electric generation and hence carbon dioxide emissions occurred in 2006 and 2007.  The decrease in overall emissions in recent years is likely due to dramatically higher energy prices and a slightly warmer winter heating season. 

“We seem to be turning the ship around, but we have to turn the wheel harder,” said Staaf.  “We cannot afford to watch emissions respond to some policies and high energy prices while we leave many policies and sectors unaddressed.”

The report’s findings reinforce calls from many environmental groups to tighten the emissions allowed in the regional plan to cut power plant global warming pollution, or the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). With fuel prices higher than expected and many electricity producers switching away from carbon-intense petroleum fuel, emissions were 48.1 MMTCO2E in 2005, and likely fell in 2006, while allowances for RGGI will allow producers to emit 50.6 MMTCO2E every year through 2014. To keep New England’s carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector in line with Climate Action Plan targets of 1990 levels by 2010 and 10% below by 2020, RGGI administrators should retire allowances or ratchet down the carbon dioxide cap from electricity production at 44.6 MMTCO2E by 2010 and 40.1 MMTCO2E by 2020.

“The progress we’ve made to cut electricity emissions with RGGI is significant, but we need to make sure our efforts pay off in real reductions,” commented Bogen. “Without tightening the cap, it won’t achieve what it was created to do.”

Because the transportation sector is the largest source of increased emissions from 2001 to 2005 and accounts for nearly one third of all global warming emissions in New Hampshire, the state must turn its attention to transportation policy solutions, according to the report. Meeting the emissions reductions will require that the state builds a more sustainable transportation system, such as: investing in the region’s rail infrastructure, improving transit in suburbs and smaller cities, encouraging downtown redevelopment in a sustainable, pedestrian friendly way and considering global warming pollution in transportation planning and development projects.