San Francisco's carbon footprint is shrinking, mayor says

Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

(08-05) 14:56 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent from 1990 levels and is on track to meet its goal of a 20 percent reduction in four years, Mayor Gavin Newsom said today.

The city's Department of the Environment studied total emissions and found the city had reduced them by 5 percent between 1990 and 2005 and by 8 percent since 2000.

The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 by several nations but not the United States, set a goal of reducing emissions by 7 percent of 1990 levels by 2012. Newsom said the city will easily reach that figure and is on its way to reach its goal in 2002 to reduce emissions by 20 percent in 10 years.

"It's one thing to say something - it's another thing to prove it and measure your assertions," Newsom said.

The study was independently reviewed by ICF International, which has produced and reviewed hundreds of other public and private sector greenhouse gas inventories.

Rahul Young, senior associate for ICF, said the study attempted to take into account all emission sources in the city, including public and private modes of transportation and the electricity use by residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

"It's a new field - there's never a completely perfect inventory," Young said. "We think it's done very well, and the numbers are as real as they can be with the available data. They're headed in the right direction."

Newsom made the announcement at the unveiling of Cool Globes, an exhibit of large globes designed by artists to raise awareness about global warming - akin to the city's display of painted fiberglass hearts to raise money for San Francisco General Hospital.

The globes are on display at Crissy Field through Oct.12.

E-mail Heather Knight at hknight@sfchronicle.com.

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