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The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Water Authority’s 2019 and 2020 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in November, earning the agency gold status for both years.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the face of climate change is a critical part of our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher. “We take our responsibility as a climate leader seriously, and we are developing forward-thinking resource solutions to ensure a sustainable environment for generations to come.”
As a centerpiece of its sustainability efforts, in 2014 the Water Authority voluntarily developed a Climate Action Plan and updates it every five years, comparing GHG emissions against a baseline and tracking progress toward State of California goals. Since the Plan’s adoption, the Water Authority has conducted annual GHG inventories and provides updates to the board of directors. Verification of the annual inventory by a third-party was another step toward validating the Water Authority’s climate mitigation efforts for stakeholders.
“Organizations that become Climate Registered are the leaders in a growing movement to address climate change by managing and reducing emissions at the subnational level,” said Amy Holm, executive director of The Climate Registry. “We have just over a decade to take action that will ensure we avoid the worst effects of climate change. This kind of leadership is needed now more than ever.”
