Delayed Revelation: Washington’s Climate Pollution Data Struggles to Surface Under New Law

For the past week, NPR has been diving into climate change solutions. They’ve looked at everything from ditching fossil fuels to elevating homes in coastal areas.

In Washington state, tracking climate progress can be tricky. The state often takes years to share updates on its pollution levels. For example, data for carbon emissions from 2020 and 2021 was only recently released—two years beyond the deadline. The next report won’t come until December 2026, covering 2022 and 2023.

Legislators are trying to speed things up. Some have pushed for more funding and new laws to help improve tracking. Recently, Republican state Senator Matt Boehnke expressed frustration about the state’s slow reporting. His proposal sought to make emissions data available annually. While the Democrat-led Legislature eventually supported it, they postponed the annual reports to start in 2031 instead of 2026.

From a practical standpoint, Democratic state Representative Beth Doglio mentioned this delay could save the state $400,000 over five years. However, critics worry that holding back transparency could hinder effective decision-making. The state must reduce pollution by 45% from 1990 levels by 2030, but with these long reporting delays, achieving that target becomes even more challenging.

The process of calculating emissions is complex and requires many data sources, which adds to the delay. Notably, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its greenhouse gas inventory for 2023 only a year after the fact. The current administration has even suggested cutting this program, claiming it doesn’t help air quality.

Interestingly, large companies like Amazon and Microsoft disclose their emissions much more quickly. According to recent estimates from the Rhodium Group, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dipped slightly by 0.2% even as the economy grew by 2.7%.

A global report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that 2024 was the hottest year on record since 1850. This underscores the urgency for better tracking and transparency in emissions data.

The conversation continues to evolve, and staying informed is crucial for everyone involved in the fight against climate change. Understanding local state policies and holding legislators accountable can drive change faster.



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