The GHG emissions inventory for Visalia calculated GHG emissions from both municipal operations and community activities for Visalia for the year 2000. SEI conducted this inventory using ICLEI’s Clean Air and Climate Protection software and the new standardized Local Government Operations Protocol recently developed by the California Air Resources Board, ICLEI, California Climate Action Registry, and The Climate Registry.

During the Fall of 2008 working alongside Assistant City Manager Leslie Caviglia and Acting Conservation Resources Manager Nathan Garza, SEI and SJVCEO staff compiled information about Visalia’s municipal and community operations and the existing measures the city has taken to curb greenhouse gase emissions. The City of Visalia is also participating in a beta test of ICLEI’s new Climate and Air Pollution Planning Assistant (CAPPA) tool, and the project team will use this tool to identify possible strategies the city may take in the future to control emissions.

In the Spring of 2009, SEI is finalizing the inventory and working with ICLEI-USA to check the results. Simultaneously, SEI is drafting a preliminary Local Climate Action Plan for the City, which will include the results of the inventory, a recommended emissions reduction target, and a number of reduction measures that the City can potentially implement to help meet the reduction target.