Saanich GHG Reduction Targets: 33% in the community and 50% for municipal operations

Emissions from fossil fuel consumption, methane production from waste and agriculture, and deforestation are regarded as the primary causes of human induced global warming. These emissions consist primarily of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and are accelerating the ‘greenhouse effect’ within the atmosphere. Subsequently, this is contributing to the warming of the world’s oceans which regulate the earth’s temperature and directly impact regional weather patterns. The impacts of global warming are being witnessed through rising global temperatures, increasing frequency of storm events, melting glaciers and rising sea levels.   The 2007 inventory also provided a detailed breakdown of emissions by sector within the community, showing that 62% of greenhouse gas emissions are related to fuel combustion vehicles, 30% is related to buildings and 8% to landfilled waste.