Published March 13 2013
As part of Bellevue's Environmental Stewardship Initiative, the city has completed an analysis of its progress in reducing greenhouse gas pollution and created an online display, or dashboard, to share the data with the public.
The dashboard, Environmental Stewardship by the Numbers, tracks progress on a variety of environmental targets set in 2007, when Bellevue signed on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. It adds transparency by displaying key indicators of the organization's environmental footprint.
The dashboard pulls data from resource-consuming activities across all city departments, showing costs and emissions associated with vehicles, buildings and other operations in user-friendly charts.
"The dashboard is a win, win, win for Bellevue," said Mayor Conrad Lee. "It leverages the Eastside's technology expertise, supports local business and improves the economic and environmental performance of city operations."
The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement set an ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. The target is tied to an international treaty, the Kyoto Protocols, adopted by some countries in 1994. In the U.S., more than 1,000 cities, representing 89 million people worldwide, signed the agreement.
The new dashboard measures 2012 greenhouse gas emissions for both municipal operations and for the entire city, and compares the results to 2006 baselines, and to Bellevue's adopted goals.
Compared to the previous greenhouse gas inventory, completed in 2006, emissions from municipal operations have been reduced by more than 12 percent due to collaboration by city departments as part of the Environmental Stewardship Initiative.
City measures to reduce pollution have included adding 90 hybrid vehicles to the organization's fleet over the past three years, and implementing a resource conservation program that resulted in approximately 22 percent less energy being used at City Hall in 2012, compared with 2009.
Communitywide emissions have leveled off from 2006, increasing by only 0.3 percent despite a growth in population of more than 5,800 residents. While progress is being made, Bellevue still needs a 22 percent reduction to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets established by the Climate Protection Agreement.
Mayor Lee said, "This data shows that even as more people move to the Eastside for jobs, schools and the quality of life, environmental impacts can be managed with smart, proactive planning."
The data displayed in the public dashboard helps project managers at the city more effectively quantify cost savings, forecast project payback periods, set performance targets and track progress.
Scope 5, a local technology group, developed software for the dashboard; the city purchased the software using federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funding.