Although the pandemic reduced greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, the state is unlikely to meet its emissions goals.
Greenhouse gas emissions declined in Vermont in 2020, according to new data from the Agency of Natural Resources’ climate office, but the dip appears to have been temporary. The agency released its latest greenhouse gas emissions inventory on Tuesday, which includes the years up to 2020. It marks the first comprehensive analysis of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions since 2018.
It also looks forward, predicting that, absent new policies, Vermont will fall short of its legally binding emissions requirements. In 2020, Vermont emitted fewer greenhouse gases than in its 30 previous years of tracking — a 10% reduction from 2017 to 2020. The reduction came largely from transportation emissions, which dropped by 15% between 2019 and 2020 as people traveled less.
“Estimates from 2020 are likely an outlier due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report states.In 2020, Vermont emitted a total of 7.99 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a metric used to account for the global warming potential of various greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane nitrous oxide. The report also predicts Vermont’s emissions in 2025 and 2030, assuming that “similar trends continue into the future without any new policies to reduce emissions.”