The staff and Board of Trustees declare Mount Auburn ’ s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by FY2050 in this document , Mount Auburn ’ s first Climate Action Plan . This document reports scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions for fiscal years 2010 through 2021 based on purchasing records related to Mount Auburn ’ s mobile fleet , cremations , building heat and electricity . Understanding the past use is an attempt to predict an unpredictable future . There are things we know . Action is required now , and successes will follow two paths : 1 ) Making big changes requires capital investments and 2 ) continuing to perform the smaller upgrades that cost fewer dollars that Mount Auburn has been completing for well over a decade already .
Mount Auburn has been tracking British thermal units ( BTUs ), kilowatt hours ( kWh ) and fuel purchases since 2010 ; therefore , we know Mount Auburn ’ s total greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions ( also known as the carbon footprint ) are already on a downward trend .
The ongoing compilation , comparison and reporting of all data towards achieving reduction goals will be based on Mount Auburn ’ s fiscal year ( April 1 – March 31 ) for ease of continued tracking and reporting rather than calendar year . By using the fiscal year , Mount Auburn is tracking GHGs nine ( 9 ) months ahead of other businesses that are reporting them based on the calendar year . Annual tracking and reporting are imperative in making future course corrections , or at least in documenting what may have gone awry in a particular year .
Fiscal Year 2010 ( April 1 , 2009 through March 31 , 2010 )
Reduced by 20 % below 2010 levels by 2020
Reduce by 75 % below 2010 levels by 2040 Reduce by 100 % below 2010 levels by 2050 for carbon-neutrality
The data collected since 2010 comprising Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are reported in four categories :
1 . Mobile Combustion of Vehicles and Equipment in gallons of fuel purchases 2 . Gas Use for Cremations in BTUs of gas purchases 3 . Heat in buildings in BTUs of gas purchases 4 . Electricity in kWh purchases
Mount Auburn Cemetery | Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 6