Consistent Emissions Inventorying and Reporting

Continued monitoring is essential to the success of Keene’s climate program. The GHG inventory process should be formalized within the community and completed at least every two years. An annual report would be helpful, but it is not feasible due to the amount of time necessary to gather the information. Streamlining the information gathering process would help make this effort automatic and reliable. Individual homeowners should be encouraged to do their own carbon footprint calculations through the New England Carbon Challenge. Small businesses can assess their carbon footprint through a local program, the 10 Percent Challenge, and larger businesses can use the skills, tools and expertise offered through the non-profit organization Clean Air – Cool Planet.

Energy Efficiency

We should continue to strive for energy efficiency in all buildings in the community. A combination of standards, policies, and incentive programs will be necessary to create new energy-efficient buildings and update existing ones. Given that nearly 48% of Keene’s emissions come from residential and commercial buildings, this could dramatically shift Keene’s carbon footprint through simple, easy-to-implement changes in how we build, where we locate buildings, and how energy-efficient buildings are designed. We should pursue the development of a community-wide weatherization program that will provide financial assistance and incentives for homeowners who might not qualify for federal or state weatherization programs.