On March 18, 2010, amendments to the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14) became effective that incorporated requirements to analyze greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts and, if significant, identify feasible measures to mitigate significant adverse GHG impacts.  In response to these changes, the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) developed a comprehensive guidance document for quantifying the effectiveness of GHG mitigation measures.  CAPCOA’s report, Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measures, was developed with the support and cooperation of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

CAPCOA’s report specifically addresses appropriate procedures for applying quantification methods to achieve accurate and reliable results. The Report includes background information on programs and concepts associated with the quantification of GHG emissions. The Report does not provide policy guidance on any of these issues, nor does it dictate how any jurisdiction should address questions of policy. Policy considerations are left to individual agencies and their governing boards. Rather, this Report is intended to support the creation of a standardized approach to quantifying mitigation measures, to allow emission reductions and measure effectiveness to be considered and compared on a common basis.  CAPCOA’s report can be accessed at the link below