The City of La Crosse recently received its Greenhouse Gas Emissions report, and the findings showed an impressive 12% reduction in GHGs community-wide since 2019. City government operations made even more progress, achieving a 21% decline in GHGs over the same period.
The report was provided by Sustainability Analytics on March 31, 2025. They conducted their assessment using standardized methodology consistent with the GHG Protocol and ICLEI standards.
A key finding in the report showed the city’s energy grid is providing cleaner energy, particularly impacted by Xcel Energy's shift from coal to wind. Xcel’s emissions rate declined 29% over the period. But transportation and natural gas remain key challenges due to their large share in both inventories.
Here are the numbers:
Community-Wide Emissions
Total 2023 Emissions: 680,403 metric tons CO₂ equivalent (MT CO₂e)
Change since 2019: ↓ 12%
Main Sources:
Transportation: 38% (258,014 MT CO₂e)
Natural Gas: 31% (213,017 MT CO₂e)
Electricity: 27% (183,388 MT CO₂e)
Solid Waste: 4% (25,529 MT CO₂e)
Wastewater: <1% (455 MT CO₂e)
Emission reductions in electricity were driven by cleaner grid energy, particularly Xcel Energy's shift from coal to wind.
City Government Operations
Total 2023 Emissions: 14,398 MT CO₂e
Excluding employee commuting: 12,208 MT CO₂e
Change since 2019 (excluding commuting): ↓ 21%
Main Sources:
Electricity: 36% (5,234 MT CO₂e)
Transportation (fleet + travel): 23% (3,306 MT CO₂e)
Natural Gas: 20% (2,822 MT CO₂e)
Employee Commuting: 15% (2,190 MT CO₂e, newly added in 2023)
Wastewater: 4% (544 MT CO₂e)
Solid Waste: 2% (302 MT CO₂e)
The City reduced electricity emissions through efficiency upgrades and solar installations (7% of municipal electricity from solar).
Transportation emissions declined due in part to the addition of electric buses.
Read the full report here.
The city’s drop in GHG emissions is an example of the type of tangible results the La Crosse Climate Action Plan (CAP) can achieve, The CAP provides programs and ideas that businesses and individuals can implement to reduce energy consumption and realize energy cost savings. You can learn more about what you can do at lacrosseclimateactionplan.org.