Washington Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Inventory Summary WA Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 1990 and 2000

WASHINGTON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SINKS
INVENTORY: SUMMARY

o
o

100.0

80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0

-20.0

-40.0

WA Greenhouse Gas Emissions,
1990 and 2000

Energy Industrial Agriculture Land Use Waste

Processes

Sector

The Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington Department
of Community, Trade, and Economic Development's report, Greenhouse Gas Inventory
and Reference Case Projections 1990-2020, contains an inventory of Washington's
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 to 2000.1

In 1990, Washington emitted GHGs in the amount of 49.3 million metric tons
carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTC02E). In 2000, total net GHG emissions increased to
59.4 MMTC02E, an overall increase of 20 percent from 1990 to 2000.

From 1990 to 2000, emissions from the energy sector increased by 14 percent,
representing 87 percent of gross GHG emissions in 2000. Although 71 percent of
Washington's electricity is generated using hydroelectric power, fossil fuel generated
electricity accounted for 31 percent of net emissions in 2000.

Emissions from industrial processes declined from 7.0 to 5.4 MMTC02E (6
percent) between 1990 and 2000. Emissions from agriculture remained constant
throughout the same time period, contributing 6.4 MMTC02E. The state inventory did
not report emissions from the waste sector for 1990 or 2000.

1 Historical GHG emission estimates (1990 through 2000) were developed using a set of
generally accepted principles and guidelines for state GHG emission inventories relying to the
extent possible on Washington-specific data and inputs. Many of the inventory estimates came
from the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) State Inventory Tool.

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The land use sector provided a sink of GHG emissions in the amount of 37.7
MMTC02E in both 1990 and 2000. The majority of this sink was due to the large
forested area in Washington. In total, the land use sector offset 39 percent of
Washington's gross emissions in 2000.

1990

C02
(MMTCO2E)

ch4

(MMTCO2E)

n2o
(mmtco2e)

HFCs,
PFCs, and

sf6

(MMTCO2E)

Total
(MMTCO2E)

Energy

*

*

*

*

73.5

Industrial Processes

*

*

*

*

7.0

Agriculture

*

*

*

*

6.1

Land Use

*

*

*

*

-37.7

Waste1

*

*

*

*

*

Net Emissions

*

*

*

*

49.3

2000

C02
(MMTCO2E)

ch4

(MMTCO2E)

n2o

(MMTC02E)

HFCs,
PFCs, and

sf6

(MMTCO2E)

Total
(MMTCO2E)

Energy

*

*

*

*

84.1

Industrial Processes

*

*

*

*

5.4

Agriculture

*

*

*

*

6.2

Land Use

*

*

*

*

-37.7

Waste1

*

*

*

*

*

Net Emissions

*

*

*

*

59.4

Note: Totals may differ from the sum of the sources due to independent rounding. All emissions
are reported in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTC02E).

* The Washington Inventory did not include estimates by gas type; thus, emissions of all gases,
expressed in C02 equivalents are presented in the right-most column,
t No emissions were reported for this source.

Per capita emissions from Washington were 15 MTC02E for the 1990-2000
timeframe, considerably less than the national per capita average of 25 MTC02E 2.

2 The state per capita emissions value is quoted in the Washington Inventory report and is
reflective of Washington's methodological decision to exclude GHG emissions from solid waste
and wastewater management due to pending updates to the approach for estimating emissions
for these activities. The national per capita average is the gross emissions level.

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