Project Summary
The NJTPA has recently completed the GHG Inventory & Forecast project (GHG I&F) for the 13-county NJTPA region. The goal of the study was to quantify the amount and kinds of climate change gases that are emitted in the region. The project presents greenhouse gas emissions from all major sectors, including:
- fuel consumption and electricity use in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors;
- transportation-related emissions from on-road, non-road, aviation, marine, and rail transportation sectors including freight;
- industrial processes;
- agricultural sources, including soils, manure and livestock;
- waste management; and
- land use, land use changes, and forestry.
This project provides GHG emission estimates for the six primary GHG gases; Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4),
Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6), Hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), and Perflourocarbons (PFCs). This inventory estimated GHG for the 2006 base year and projected GHG emissions for the years 2020, 2035, and 2050.
The NJTPA GHG inventory was developed utilizing two accounting methods: direct emissions and consumption‐based emissions. Direct emissions are defined as those emissions that take place within the NJTPA region. GHG gases emitted from landfills and from the combustion of motor fuels in automobiles are examples of direct emissions. Consumption‐based emissions are those emissions associated with a product or process, such as the generation of electricity. Since a significant amount of the electricity consumed within the NJTPA region is generated outside of New Jersey, the consumption-based method estimated the emissions associated with that electricity even though it was generate elsewhere. The NJTPA also estimated the greenhouse gases associated with the upstream production of a product or process, called energy‐cycle emissions, which include emissions associated with material extraction, processing, and transport. For example, the extraction, distribution, and refining of gasoline is often not considered in the direct emissions accounting, but is included in a consumption/energy cycle accounting method. Measuring greenhouse gas emissions by using both methods provide a more nuanced and complete picture of where greenhouse gas are being emitted and provides additional guidance on what GHG mitigation measures may be pursued.
This GHG inventory and forecast will help state, regional, and local policy makers and citizens understand the sources of GHG emissions so that well-informed policy decisions will be made to reduce these emissions. The results of this GHG inventory and forecasting project will serve as a basis for NJTPA to formulate and evaluate greenhouse gas reduction policies and action plans at the regional, subregional, and municipal levels. Furthermore, a GHG Management web‐based tool was developed by NJTPA to facilitate the sharing of GHG emissions data with county and municipal planners..
Hired to assist with this effort was the consultant team lead by TranSystems/E.H. Pechan & Associates, along with AKRF, Inc., AECOM, and Arch Street Communications, Inc. The first three team members supplied NJTPA with technical support on the project, while Arch Street provided communication and outreach support. Progress of the project was overseen by a Technical Advisory Committee.
Use the link below to access the final report and appendices generated by the study in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format:
Final GHG Inventory and Forecast Report (2.6 MB)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the NJTPA Region
Greenhouse Gas emissions in the NJTPA region were estimated at 86 million metric tons CO2 equivalent (MMtCO2e) in 2006. These emissions were estimated by measuring direct GHG emissions for all sectors except for the electricity sector, which was measured using a consumption-based methodology. This methodology for calculating GHG emissions - direct measurement plus consumption measurement for electricity - is a commonly accepted practice in many State, regional, and local GHG emission inventories, and is consistent with the methodology of other Metropolitan Planning Organizations. The consumption of electricity by homes, businesses, and industry contributed to 36% (30MMTCO2e) of all GHG emissions in the region. The use of natural gas, oil, and other fossil fuels for homes, businesses and industry contributed to 28% (24 MMTCO2e) of all greenhouse gases emitted in the region. The combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel in the transportation sector also contributed to 28% (24 MMTCO2e) of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions. These three sectors amount to 92% of all greenhouse emissions in the region. Other sectors contributed relatively small amounts to the region’s GHG emissions.
Another approach to GHG emissions involves estimating GHG emissions on a consumption basis and considering the "upstream" greenhouse gas emissions in the energy-cycle. Based on this methodology, emissions in the NJTPA region were found to be 24% higher than using the method discussed above, exceeding 107 MMtCO2e in 2006. The consumption of electricity by homes, businesses, and industry still contributes the largest amount of GHG emissions at 31% (33MMTCO2e) by sector in the NJTPA region. The use of natural gas, oil, and other fossil fuels for homes, businesses and industry contributed to 26% (28 MMTCO2e) and the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel in the transportation sector contributed to 19% (20 MMTCO2e) of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions. While these three sectors still account for the majority (76%) of the emissions within the NJTPA region, emissions from other sectors became more prevalent. For example, GHG emissions from the solid waste sector contributed 11% (12MMTCO2e) as compared with 2% in the Direct Emissions inventory. Industrial Processes related to the production of steel and cement contributed to 12% (13MMTCO2e) of the region’s emissions. Region-wide GHG emissions are anticipated to increase by approximately 46% to about 156 MMtCO2e by 2050, with solid waste constituting the greatest increase in GHG emissions over the time period.
Greenhouse Gas Management Tool
A web tool has been developed to assist county and municipal planners in obtaining greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for their respective jurisdictions. Information is available for the 13 counties of the NJTPA region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passiac, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren) and any municipality or city within these counties. The intended use of this tool is to allow users to query the database in a quick and simple manner to obtain municipal and county level carbon footprints necessary for effective GHG mitigation planning. This tool is currently being beta- tested and is available to the NJTPA's subregions only. Please stayed tuned for future access to this tool via the NJTPA website.
For More Information
For more information regarding the regional GHG emissions inventory project, contact Jeffrey Perlman at 973-639-8445 or jperlman@njtpa.org.