Philly’s carbon emissions dropped. Here’s what else experts say needs to change

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Philadelphia’s climate pollution has continued to drop, according to a new analysis of the city’s planet-warming emissions.

The report, which accounts for Philly’s emissions in 2022, shows the city is on track to meet its climate goals, which include zeroing out carbon emissions by 2050, said Nidhi Krishen, deputy director for climate solutions in the city’s Office of Sustainability.

But experts say going forward, the changes that need to be made to meet that goal could be more challenging for the city.

“You’ve achieved most of the low-hanging fruit at this point,” said Jesse Keenan, director of Tulane University’s Center on Climate Change and Urbanism. “To get further decarbonization is going to be really tough.”

The inventory is Philly’s second citywide greenhouse gas assessment. A previous inventory of emissions in 2019 also showed a decrease from the baseline in 2006.

“We’re still showing a continued steady downward trend,” Krishen said.

A cleaner grid, more efficient buildings and the closure of the PES refinery

Greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of Philly’s economy dropped 31% between 2006 and 2022, according to the analysis, with a third of these reductions happening since the city’s last inventory in 2019.

In contrast, greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S. fell just around 15% between 2006 and 2022.

“[Philly] is more ambitious and has made more progress than the U.S. as a whole,” said Noah Kittner, a professor who studies energy systems at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “From that perspective, it’s quite encouraging.”