Map of municipalities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

6 Core Steps for a Sustainable Municipality

Cloud with CO2 and arrow pointing down.Step 1: Review Your GHG Emissions

Overview

Understand where your community's greenhouse gas emissions come from. Use that to identify the largest contributing sectors so you can focus and prioritize efforts where they will have the greatest impact.

Why This Step Matters

Your greenhouse gas inventory provides the foundation for climate planning by identifying major emission sources, supporting informed decisions, and helping measure future progress.

Key Actions

  • Review your community's GHG inventory.
  • Identify the largest emitting sectors.
  • Determine where your municipality has the greatest influence.
  • Select 2–3 priority focus areas.

🛠️ Tools for Step 1

    Inventory: Interactive emissions data for all 59 cities and towns

    Worksheet: Fillable table to translate emissions data into % of total emissions, top sources and local influence

👉 Pro Tips

Use the GHG emissions inventory as a decision making tool. If buildings make up 60% of emissions most of your early strategies should address energy efficiency, electrication and solor.

Start with the top two sectors for teh greatest impact. They usually represent 70-90% of local emissions, and build your first stregy set around them.

🤿 Want a Deeper Dive?

EPA – Local Climate Action Framework A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide U.S. EPA’s Local Climate Action Framework (2017 archived) is a step-by-step guide helping local governments plan, implement, track, and fund community-wide climate mitigation and adaptation projects. Link goes directly to “Develop GHG Inventory” step.


  
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