Emissions Goals
Carbon Net Neutrality Resolution
In 2020, the Laramie City Council passed resolution 2020-14, which contains goals for emissions reductions in Laramie. The resolution established a goal of net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. The resolution states that a “two-pronged” approach should be used to achieve this goal, combining municipal reductions in carbon production with broader community-based efforts.
Emissions Reduction Plan - Adopted by Council Resolution 2024-36
2025 Emissions Inventory Update
Since 2020, the City of Laramie (COL) has been compiling municipal emissions inventories on a routine basis in accordance with recommendations outlined and included in the City of Laramie Municipal Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP). In early 2025, COL staff completed a review of the annual emissions inventory process with the following goals:
- Evaluate what has been reported and is currently being reported
- Explore ways to increase the emissions inventory accuracy
- Review options for emissions reduction by direct reduction or sequestration
- Streamline the process in order to complete an accurate emissions inventory on a routine basis.
The COL strives to continually improve the emissions inventory process to work toward the goal of carbon net zero by year 2050. Through this process, the following key findings were identified, and corresponding action items will address them.
- The current emissions inventory calculation method was not calculating the solid waste (landfill) emissions accurately
- Carbon sequestration was not being accounted for
- Fertilizer application totals were not being accounted for
- Overall emissions have been inflated for each previous year
The COL has historically used the online software program ICLEI ClearPath to calculate its emissions. Through the review process described above, it was decided that the COL will move to use the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Local Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool to calculate its emissions. The EPA tool is free and provides much of the same benefits ICLEI provided with additional features that address the identified findings listed above to further strengthen Laramie’s annual emissions inventory. Below is a summary of the some of the changes made to the inventory.
Solid Waste Emissions
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires sources (including landfills) emitting greater than 25,000 MTCO2e to report emissions annually to comply with the EPA Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Rule. Up until now the COL landfill did not break this threshold but will for the 2024 reporting year with an estimated 27,958 MT CO2e. Previously, the annual emissions inventory calculation method used for the landfill did not follow the EPA calculation method, which overestimated actual emissions. The previous calculation method completed within ICLEI reported landfill emissions at 46,343 MTCO2e. Starting with the 2025 annual emissions inventory, the landfill emissions will be calculated using the preferred EPA calculation method. It should be noted that this reduction in reported emissions is not a true reduction, just a difference in calculation methods to a more accurate method.
Since GHG reporting is completed on an annual calendar year basis, the data will be included for the previous year whereas the rest of the COL annual emissions inventory data is based off the fiscal year.
Fertilizer Use
The COL previously did not include fertilizer consumption as part of the emissions inventory. The EPA calculation method has the capability to include fertilizer so it will be included in the 2025 emissions inventory and subsequent years.
Carbon Sequestration
Natural carbon sequestration is the process by which plants and soil absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in organic matter either within the plant or underground. Using carbon sequestration data as a way to offset carbon emissions is a potential tool to further reduce the COL carbon footprint. The COL owns and manages many acres of open space both within city limits and in rural Albany County. City of Laramie staff are currently exploring sequestration data calculations for these properties to incorporate them into the annual emissions inventory. To fully and accurately incorporate this data into the inventory it is likely that a large-scale project will need to be completed. Therefore, this data is not included in the current inventory but will hopefully be added in the future.
As seen below, the 2024/25 reported emissions are significantly lower than what has been reported in the past. It should be noted that this is not necessarily attributed to an actual reduction in emissions but rather due to an increased accuracy of how emissions are being reported, especially emissions from the COL landfill (solid waste).
Previous Emissions Inventories
2019 Laramie Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
2022 Inventory and Emissions Reduction Timeline
Emissions Reduction Planning
Students at the University of Wyoming drafted the Emissions Reduction Management outline in response to the goals for carbon neutrality set forth in Resolution 2020-14. The outline includes research from cities comparable to Laramie in order to create a framework for emissions reductions.
Emissions Reduction Management Outline
Based on research from other cities and goals created by the City of Laramie in resolution 2020-14, the following outline for emissions reduction has been created.
EAC Emissions Reduction Recommendations
Mountain Towns 2030
Mountain Towns Solutions Project
The City of Laramie is participating in the Mountain Towns Solutions Project, which is a climate action framework designed
to help mountain and outdoor communities collaborate to achieve carbon net neutrality.