Dallas is discharging less greenhouse gas than it did a decade ago, according to a newly released environmental report from the city.

The city’s 2023 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory shows Dallas produced about 18.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, an 11% decrease from 2015, the baseline year for the city’s climate goals.

Emissions increased slightly, about 1%, compared with 2019, reflecting shifts in transportation and expanded data tracking.

Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer and are said to be the biggest contributor to changes to the Earth’s climate. Human activities are responsible for almost all of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Results from each greenhouse gas inventory are used to evaluate the city’s overall progress for climate action goals and used to identify key initiatives and progress and challenges by sector and by city department,” said Alfredo Ortiz, an environmental coordinator with the city of Dallas’ Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability.

The city of Dallas has a 30-year plan to address environmental issues and develop strategies to mitigate the challenges associated with climate change. The Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan was unanimously adopted by the city in 2020.

CECAP has an interim goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030, and a long-term goal of 100% reduction by 2050.

The inventory breaks emissions into four major sectors.

• Stationary energy emissions: Electricity and natural gas used in buildings show the most significant decline. Emissions from this sector decreased by 15% from 2019 and by 31% from 2015.
• Transportation emissions: Increased sharply, rising 22% from 2019 and 19% from 2015. Aviation emissions were newly included in the 2023 inventory, expanding the scope of previous reports.
• Waste-related emissions: Solid waste and wastewater treatment continued to decline. The city reported a 28% drop from 2019 and a 21% reduction from 2015 in that category.
• Local government operations: City facilities, fleet vehicles, water and wastewater systems and street lighting, totaled 804,033 metric tons, accounting for roughly 4% of Dallas’ total emissions. Municipal emissions declined 17% from 2019 and 29% from 2015, according to the presentation.

Streetlights and traffic signals showed significant reductions, down 57% from 2015, primarily due to efficiency improvements.

City staff emphasized the greenhouse gas inventory is a tracking tool rather than a policy document, designed to measure progress and guide future actions.