Certain gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are known as greenhouse gases and are widely acknowledged to contribute to climate change. GHGs occur naturally, and they are also emitted from human activities like using fossil fuels, through certain land management practices, or from the manufacturing of products we use. To prevent climate change from worsening, it is critical to understand greenhouse gas contributions at various scales.

The Cape Cod Commission’s 2018 Regional Policy Plan includes a planning action to develop an estimated baseline of greenhouse gas emissions for the region using available models and data. This baseline can provide communities with the information to understand the contributing factors to Cape Cod’s greenhouse gas emissions.

That inventory is now complete, and in this episode, we focus on its creation and uses with  Cape Cod Commission Transportation Program Manager Steven Tupper, Cape Cod Commission Special Projects Coordinator Michele White, and Katherine Eshel, Carbon Neutrality program manager for the City of Boston.