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89 <br /> Executive Summary <br /> INTRODUCTION <br /> The goal of this report is to provide an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions <br /> that are attributable to human activities in Orange County, North Carolina. This report <br /> acts as a foundational document for the 2023 climate action plan, which provides <br /> a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions while preserving the living standards of <br /> county residents. A GHG inventory describes the primary sources of emissions within <br /> the county, including those originating from residents, commercial enterprises, and <br /> governmental operations. The emissions studied can be either direct or indirect. Direct <br /> emissions are those emitted at the location of use such as natural gas combustion in <br /> heating buildings, whereas indirect emissions are purchased and used at one location <br /> but generated elsewhere, such as those originating from the electrical grid'. A GHG <br /> inventory is crucial for creating strategies and programs that reduce future emissions <br /> and providing insight into the environmental condition of the county during the study <br /> year. This report was reviewed by the International Council for Local Environmental <br /> Initiatives(ICLEI)for completeness and accuracyto ensure its reliability as a foundation <br /> for informed decision-making and action. <br /> This GHG inventory analyzes two different tracks, which are presented separately. The <br /> community track encompasses all Orange County residents, including businesses, <br /> individuals, and industrial emissions sources. Community emissions were divided into <br /> sectors: commercial, residential, and industrial energy; transportation and mobile <br /> services; solid waste; and water and wastewater. The county government operations <br /> track includes the emissions related to Orange County government activities, including <br /> government facilities, vehicle fleets, and employee commuting. The County operations <br /> inventory is a subset of the community inventory, and has specific usage portioned out <br /> from the community inventory. This report relies on the best available data to date. If <br /> certain data could not be collected, best estimates were used. Emission factors were <br /> compiled for each sector from reliable sources, such as the Environmental Protection <br /> Agency (EPA) and the US Community Protocol, which update information regularly. <br /> This GHG inventory offers a reliable reflection of real-world emissions in Orange <br /> County. All calculations were made using the US Community Protocols for Greenhouse <br /> Gas Accounting studies, as published by ICLE12. Two appendices are included in this <br /> report. Appendix A lists raw usage data collected from utilities and other sources,while <br /> Appendix B provides a detailed methodology of all calculations used in determining <br /> emission totals. <br /> https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance <br /> 2 U.S.Community Protocol for Accounting And Reporting of GHG Emissions Version 1.2 <br /> July 2019 ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA <br /> 1 ORANGE COUNTY, NC • APPENDICES <br />