California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2020 Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators

(California Air Resources Board) The annual statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory is one tool to track progress of California’s climate programs toward achieving the statewide GHG goals. This document summarizes the trends in emissions and indicators in the California GHG Emission Inventory (“the GHG Inventory”). The emissions included in the inventory and presented here represent actual emissions released into the atmosphere from the AB 32 sectors. The 2022 edition of the inventory includes GHG emissions released during 2000-2020 calendar years and includes several technical updates. For some sectors, these changes are substantial and impact the entire time series. Details on these updates are described in more detail in the technical documentationa available on GHG Inventory program website at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-data.

In 2020, emissions from GHG emitting activities statewideb were 369.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (MMTCO2e), 35.3 MMTCO2e lower than 2019 levels and 61.8 MMTCO2e below the 2020 GHG Limit of 431 MMTCO2e. The 2019 to 2020 decrease in emissions is likely due in large part to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic recovery from the pandemic may result in emissions increases over the next few years. As such, the total 2020 reported emissions are likely an anomaly, and any near-term increases in annual emissions should be considered in the context of the pandemic. The most notable highlights in the 2022 edition inventory include:

• The transportation sector showed the largest decline in emissions of 27 MMTCO2e (16 percent) compared to 2019. This decrease was most likely from light duty vehicles after shelter-in-place orders were enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Industrial sector emissions dropped 7 MMTCO2e (9 percent) compared to 2019. The decrease is driven by lower emissions from both the refining sector and the oil and gas production sector.

• Electricity sector emissions remained at a similar level as in 2019 despite a 44 percent decrease in in-state hydropower generation (due to below average precipitation levels), which was more than compensated for by a 10 percent growth in in-state solar generation and cleaner imported electricity incentivized by California’s clean energy policies.

• Between 2019 and 2020, California’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 2.8 percent while the GHG intensity of California’s economy (GHG emissions per unit GDP) decreased 6.2 percent.

The 2022 edition of the GHG Inventory includes the emissions of the seven GHGs identified in AB 32 [1] for the years 2000 to 2020. There are additional climate pollutants that are not included in AB 32 that are tracked separately outside of the GHG Inventory. These climate pollutants include black carbon and sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), which are discussed in the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Strategy [4], and ozone depleting substances (ODS), which are being phased out under a 1987 international treaty [5]. ODSs are now being substituted with hydrofluorocarbons, which are pollutants specified in AB 32 [1].

Direct emissions from vehicle tailpipes, off-road transportation sources, intrastate aviation, and other transportation sources, account for 37 percentd of statewide emissions in 2020. This is a smaller share than recent years, as the transportation sector saw a significant decrease of 26.6 MMTCO2e in 2020.

Biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel displace fossil fuels and reduce the amount of fossil-based CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere. The percentages of biodiesel and renewable diesel in the total diesel blendh have shown significant growth in recent years, growing from 0.4 percent in 2011 to 20.8 percent in 2020, due mostly to the implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Without biofuels, California tailpipe fossil CO2 would be 15 MMT higher in 2020. READ MORE