King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Updated Geographic-plus Inventory, a Consumption-based Inventory, and an Ongoing Tracking Framework

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for King County, Washington, using two complementary methodologies: a Geographic-plus Inventory and a Consumption-based Inventory. It evaluates 2008 emissions data, compares them to 2003 trends and national averages, and proposes a streamlined tracking framework to help local government monitor emissions sources over which they have direct policy influence.

• In 2008, King County's Geographic-plus Inventory totaled 23.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). This represents a 5 percent increase from 22.4 million MTCO2e in 2003, although emissions remained stable on a per-person basis.
• Per-person GHG emissions in the Geographic-plus Inventory were 12.4 MTCO2e, which is 20 percent lower than the Washington State average (15.5 MTCO2e) and approximately half the United States average (23.4 MTCO2e). This difference is primarily attributed to the region's low-GHG hydropower electricity and a specific industrial mix that lacks energy-intensive sectors like petroleum refining.
• Transportation was the primary source of emissions in the Geographic-plus Inventory, accounting for 6.0 MTCO2e per person. Within this sector, cars and trucks were the largest contributor at 4.7 MTCO2e per person, followed by air travel at 1.2 MTCO2e per person.
• The Consumption-based Inventory revealed a significantly larger emissions footprint of 55 million MTCO2e, or 29 MTCO2e per person. This is more than double the Geographic-plus figure and roughly four times the global average, reflecting the high volume of emissions-intensive goods and services consumed by the region's wealthy population.
• Under the consumption model, emissions are heavily weighted toward the production phase. Over 60 percent (34 million MTCO2e) of consumption-based emissions are associated with producing goods and services, while use represents over 25 percent (15 million MTCO2e), and transport, sale, and disposal combined represent less than 15 percent.
• A vast majority of consumption-related emissions occur outside the region. Approximately three-quarters (40 million MTCO2e) of emissions associated with King County consumption are released outside the county, with about one-quarter of the total occurring internationally.
• The report identifies food as the most emissions-intensive consumption category on a per-dollar basis. Specifically, red meat and dairy are more emissions-intensive than poultry and eggs, which are more intensive than grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• King County's forests and waste management provide significant carbon sinks. Forests sequester approximately 0.4 million MTCO2e annually. Additionally, recycling and composting programs avoided approximately 2.0 million MTCO2e in 2008 compared to a scenario where all material was disposed of.
• The report proposes a three-tiered tracking framework to monitor emissions. The 'Core' scope, to be updated annually, focuses on local vehicle travel, buildings, and waste, as these are highly measurable and subject to direct local government policy influence. The 'Expanded: Production' and 'Expanded: Consumption' scopes are recommended for update every three to five years.

APA

Chandler, C., Erickson, P., Lazarus, M., Bueno, R., Cegan, J., Munitz, C., & Stanton, E. A. (2012). King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Updated Geographic-plus Inventory, a Consumption-based Inventory, and an Ongoing Tracking Framework. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/sei-kingcounty-ghg-2008-summary.pdf

Chicago

Chandler, Chelsea, Peter Erickson, Michael Lazarus, Ramón Bueno, Jeffrey Cegan, Charles Munitz, and Elizabeth A. Stanton. King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Updated Geographic-plus Inventory, a Consumption-based Inventory, and an Ongoing Tracking Framework. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/sei-kingcounty-ghg-2008-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chandler |first1=Chelsea |last2=Erickson |first2=Peter |last3=Lazarus |first3=Michael |last4=Bueno |first4=Ramón |last5=Cegan |first5=Jeffrey |last6=Munitz |first6=Charles |last7=Stanton |first7=Elizabeth A. |title=King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Updated Geographic-plus Inventory, a Consumption-based Inventory, and an Ongoing Tracking Framework |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/sei-kingcounty-ghg-2008-summary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chandler2012king, author = {Chandler, Chelsea and Erickson, Peter and Lazarus, Michael and Bueno, Ramón and Cegan, Jeffrey and Munitz, Charles and Stanton, Elizabeth A.}, title = {{King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Updated Geographic-plus Inventory, a Consumption-based Inventory, and an Ongoing Tracking Framework}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/sei-kingcounty-ghg-2008-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }