A Lehigh Valley Planning Commission booklet with the Greater Lehigh Valley Greenhouse Gas Inventory is seen Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, during a news conference in Allentown. The data, detailing how much greenhouse gas is being emitted and where it is coming from, will be instrumental in developing the Lehigh Valley’s first regionwide Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call) The Lehigh Valley’s growth is expected to continue for several years. Those tasked with managing that growth want to make sure the region’s contributions to climate change don’t grow alongside it. On Tuesday, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission unveiled the Greater Lehigh Valley Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Besides the region’s core counties — Lehigh and Northampton — it also includes data for the entire Metropolitan Statistical Area, adding Carbon County and Warren County, New Jersey. “There’s going to be a lot of conversation about what to do,” Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said at a news conference at LVPC headquarters in Allentown. “How do we reduce this and things like that? The most important thing for us is defining the problem, so we have a baseline to be able to prove because we can’t just rely on individual experience when we’re making these decisions. You have to take a look at what the data is.” Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong said it’s important for the entire Valley to unite for such a plan and help make the region livable for future generations. “I want this better for my grandchildren,” Armstrong said. “I want this to be better for your children. I want this better for the people who want to come here. And that’s why we’ve been put in these positions, we’ve been elected to make a difference, and I think this proves we are making a difference, that we […]