More in this section:


Carbon Calculator and Climate Action Pledge Tool:


Climate change heroes:

    Curtis Packaging

    Newton. In 2007, Curtis Packaging became the first deluxe printing and packaging company in North America to go 100% carbon neutral and was the first company in its industry to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company purchases wind energy certificates to offset 100% of the electricity used at its facilities.

     

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies

Connecticut’s ongoing efforts to develop strategies and implement programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are shown in the flowchart below. Starting with Connecticut’s initial climate change stakeholder dialogue in 2003, the Governor’s Steering Committee on Climate Change has been developing, analyzing, and implementing GHG reduction strategies to meet the State’s evolving GHG targets.  The most recent targets require the state to reduce GHG emissions 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050.  These GHG targets were established by the 2008 Connecticut Global Warming Solutions Act.

In 2010, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), under contract to the CT Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), has been analyzing 21 strategies to determine their GHG reduction potential and other economic and environmental benefits.  View CT Greenhouse Gas Emissions:  Mitigation Options Overview and Reduction Estimates (NESCAUM, December 17, 2010), which includes analysis based on stakeholder input.  Please click on the sectors listed here to view the NESCAUM analysis and other GHG reduction strategies for each sector, including strategies in the 2005 CT Climate Change Action Plan:  (1) Transportation and Land Use; (2) Electric Power Generation; (3) Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Energy; (4) Agriculture, Forestry, and Waste Management; (5) Education and Outreach; and (6) GHG Emissions Reporting. Continued modeling of GHG strategies and co-benefits, including economic benefits is ongoing. 


2003 CT GHG Inventory published

9-month stakeholder dialogue developed recommended actions to reduce CT GHG emissions – 2004 Connecticut Stakeholder Recommendations
   

“An Act Concerning Climate Change” (Public Act No. 04-252) established CT-specific GHG goals
   

2005 CT Climage Change Action Plan finalized and submitted to CT General Assembly

CT GHG Inventory 2006 Update published
   

6-month stakeholder dialogue reviews progress of implementing CT Climate Action Plan and develops additional GHG reduction strategies

CT Global Warming Solutions Act (Public Act No. 08-98) sets mandatory, CT-specific GHG reductions for 2020 and 2050
   

2009 CT GHG Inventory published

 Draft Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Table (PDF) developed based on 2007-2008 stakeholder dialogue and research on strategies considered by other states

Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) quantifies GHG reductions from list of 21 quantifiable GHG reduction strategies

CT Greenhouse Gas Emissions:  Mitigation Options Overview and Reduction Estimates (NESCAUM, December 17, 2010)
   

Further modeling of GHG strategies and co-benefits, including economic benefits
    

Additional stakeholder and public input on anaylsis of GHG strategies

Publish recommendations of GHG strategies to achieve Connecticut GHG targets

July 2012 and every 3 years thereafter – Develop, with public input, a schedule of of recommended regulatory actions, policies, and other actions necessary to achieve GHG targets

A vast majority of Connecticut’s GHG emissions are attributed to the following sectors: Transportation and Land Use; Electric Power Generation; Residential, Commercial and Industrial Energy; and Agriculture, Forestry and Solid Waste Management.  The sections below contain detailed information on efforts to reduce GHG emissions from within each sector.  Additional information is provided on education and outreach and GHG reporting as both are critical elements of our GHG mitigation efforts.

Transportation and Land Use Strategies

Transportation emissions account for approximately 40% of Connecticut’s GHG emissions. Strategies to reduce emissions from this sector focus on increasing vehicle and fuel efficiency as well as reducing vehicle miles traveled through smart growth and mass transit initiatives.

Electric Power Generation Strategies

Fossil fuel combustion is the largest contributor to GHG emissions in Connecticut. Electric power generation accounts for 22% of the state’s fossil fuel related GHG emissions.

Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Strategies

The main source of GHG emissions in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors is the combustion of fossil fuels for space heating, air conditioning, and water heating. Residential space heating accounts for 17% of Connecticut’s GHG emissions. Commercial and industrial processing, space heating, etc. account for 7 % and 10% respectively of the state’s GHG emissions.

Agriculture, Forestry, and Waste Management Strategies

Agriculture and Forestry is the only sector that is capable of negative GHG emissions (it can be a GHG sink rather than a GHG source). This sector also includes GHG emissions related to Connecticut’s solid waste management.

Education & Outreach Strategies

Although often difficult to quantify specific emissions reductions attributable to such programs, education and outreach is essential to successful climate change program implementation and societal acceptance of new paradigms.

Reporting GHG Emissions

Reporting Connecticut’s greenhouse gas emissions is important to measuring progress towards meeting the state’s GHG targets and addressing climate change at both the state and federal levels.