MILL VALLEY, CA — Mill Valley's latest greenhouse-gas inventory showed community emissions had fallen, but a report to the City Council in early October identified transportation as the largest remaining source and described the work still needed to meet the city's 2030 target.
The 2024 inventory, the most recent year with complete data, attributed about 61 percent of emissions to transportation, with passenger vehicles responsible for about 80 percent of that sector. Building energy — primarily natural gas use —accounted for nearly one-third. Waste made up about 4 percent, while electricity emissions were about 1 percent.
The city's target was to reduce emissions to 47 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
The report said Mill Valley appeared to be on track based on the historical trend, but officials identified reducing vehicle miles traveled, electrifying vehicles and buildings, and improving waste sorting as continuing priorities.
Councilmember Katherine Jones asked what more the city needed to do to maintain progress.
"I feel like the city has done a fair amount that it's been able to do sort of low-hanging fruit to sort of get to keep on that trend line," Jones said but wondered what other actions that the city would need to take in order to maintain that trend.
Councilmember Urban Carmel pointed to the practical barriers residents faced, including the cost of replacing gas appliances
Mayor Max Perrey said officials should prepare for upcoming rules affecting home electrification.
"I think the fact that the rules have these additional exemptions for water heaters means that we have to think about other ways that we can incentivize water heaters to go in," Perrey said. "So having a streamlined process, I think, makes a lot of sense."
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