Palo Alto Emissions Fall 49.5% Since 1990
The city's 2025 greenhouse gas total of 403,593 metric tons marks continued decline from its 1990 baseline, with electric vehicles playing a central role.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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Palo Alto emitted 403,593 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, down from 425,910 in 2024 and 798,868 in 1990. The city's emissions have declined 49.5% since the 1990 baseline year.
Why it matters
The reduction shows how electrification of vehicles and a carbon-free electricity portfolio are driving local emissions cuts. Transportation makes up about 64% of the city's total emissions, so vehicle trends weigh heavily on overall progress.
The city's inventory counts 403,593 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, a 49.5% drop from 1990, while electric vehicles reached 26% of registered vehicles and 60% of new sales. The inventory does not project emissions beyond 2025.
The players
Rincon Consultants
Rincon Consultants is an environmental consulting firm that performed the greenhouse gas inventory for Palo Alto.
World Resources Institute
The World Resources Institute is a global research nonprofit whose protocols were used to measure the city's generation-based emissions.
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is a network of major world cities working on climate action, whose protocols informed the city's emissions measurement.
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
ICLEI is an international association of local governments focused on sustainable urban development, whose protocols were used in the inventory.
The details
Emissions were calculated using a greenhouse gas inventory performed by Rincon Consultants, following protocols from the World Resources Institute, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ICLEI. Vehicle miles traveled rose from 597.7 million in 2024 to 614.13 million in 2025, while per capita emissions fell to 6.0 metric tons.
Timeline
1990: Baseline year for the city's emissions reduction measurements.
2019-2020: Emissions dropped nearly 100,000 metric tons as remote work increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2025: Emissions fell to 403,593 metric tons.
Nov. 2, 2026: City Council is scheduled to discuss the emissions analysis.
Roadmap
Palo Alto's emissions have fallen 49.5% from the 1990 baseline, with transportation down 22.9% and making up about 64% of the total. The shift tracks the broader move toward electric vehicles, which rose to 26% of registrations and 60% of new sales in 2025.
Residents who drive are part of a shift in which electric vehicles now account for 26% of registered cars in Palo Alto. Growing EV adoption also reflects the city's push to cut the transportation emissions that make up most of its total.
The takeaway
Electric vehicle adoption is a key lever in the city's emissions decline, and tracking vehicle miles traveled will show whether gains hold. Residents considering a vehicle purchase can note that EVs now make up 60% of new sales locally.
What happens next
The City Council is scheduled to discuss the emissions analysis on Nov. 2, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more on Electric Vehicles to see how adoption is reshaping city transportation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Palo Alto Online.
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