Inventory Tool | Action Planning Tool

Through a partnership with the EPA, the NPS developed the Climate Leadership in Parks (CLIP) tool to help parks measure and strategize to reduce their carbon footprints. The CLIP tool consists of two modules.

CLIP Module 1 is the inventory tool, which helps park measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It measures emissions resulting from solid waste, wastewater treatment, park vehicles, electricity use, visitors and other sources of GHG emissions.

• How to develop an inventory – Preparing a baseline emission inventory requires the coordination of the various park stakeholders including park staff, concessioners and those responsible for other permitted activities within the parks boundaries.
• To inventory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the activities that produce the emissions are grouped into sources, which include stationary combustion, purchased electricity, mobile combustion, landfilled waste, wastewater treatment, fertilizer application, forest management, and oil and natural gas activities.

CLIP Module 2 is the action planning module. With this module, parks can set emission reduction targets, and then compare activities or actions that will help them reach their reduction targets. For instance, parks can calculate the cost and carbon savings of changing incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, or converting part of their fleet to alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles. As they select the actions they will take, the tool calculates their progress towards their goal.

• After completing a baseline emission inventory, Applicant Parks create an Action Plan using Module 2 of the CLIP Tool. This Action Plan details the mitigation actions the park will take to reduce park emissions, the adaptation strategies the park will employ to prepare for changing climate, and the education and outreach activities the park engages in to educate park staff and the public about climate change.

CLIP Tool QA/QC is the quality control and assurance tool to verify data input. With this module, parks can run an automatic quality check on their inventory.

• A CLIP QA/QC Process Document is available to help parks through the data verification process.

If your park is interested in using these tools to develop an emissions inventory and action plan, please contact us at: CLIPTool@nps.gov.