Turning the corner: Greenhouse gas emissions are up, but help is on the way
The bad news first: New data shows greenhouse gas emissions in Washington rose 1.3% from 2017 to 2018, reaching 99.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
On the one hand, 1.3% is a small increase. On the other hand, in recent years, Washington has adopted a number of new policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If emissions are going up, are those policies really working?
Yes, our carbon reduction policies are, in fact, working. But they are phasing in slowly, in many cases, and a number were enacted into law after 2018, the most recent year for which we have data.