Greenhouse gas emissions drop across California, due to clean fuel shifts: Regulators

California’s greenhouse gas emissions have plunged in recent years across most sectors, falling about 2.4 percent in 2022 in comparison to the previous year, state regulators reported on Friday.

The release of such pollutants declined by 9.3 million metric tons during that period, in large part due to the increased usage of clean fuels and zero-emission vehicles, according to the report, issued by the California Air Resources Board.

That improvement from 2021 to 2022 alone is equivalent to removing more than 2.2 million gasoline-powered cars from California’s roads for an entire year, state officials said.

From the year 2000 to 2022, overall emissions dropped by about 20 percent, while the state’s gross domestic production surged by 78 percent, the regulators noted.

“The numbers are clear: our world-leading regulations are reducing emissions, spurring innovation, and bringing us closer to achieving our climate goals,” Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement.

“A future with clean air and a vibrant economy is possible and California is leading the way,” Randolph added.

From 2021 to 2022, the transportation sector showed the greatest decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, which fell by 5.2 million metric tons, or a 3.6 percent drop for the industry, according to the report. 

Nonetheless, the transportation sector maintained its role as the biggest contributor to California’s greenhouse gas releases in 2022, equivalent to 37.7 percent of total emissions, the report found.

Electricity sector emissions fell by 2.6 million metric tons, or 4.1 percent, even as electricity usage rose — a dichotomy that the regulators attributed to an increase in solar and wind power generation.

Industrial emissions dropped by 1.5 million metric tons, or 2 percent for that sector, with shifts in oil and gas production and processing responsible for the largest share of that success. Overall, industrial emissions in 2022 were 21.7 percent below those of 2000 levels, per the report.

In a statement alongside the report, Steven Cliff, the executive officer for the California Air Resources Board, emphasized the ongoing importance of “increasing the use of clean fuels and making the switch to zero-emissions technology across sectors.”

“California will continue to strengthen its programs to ensure that we are meeting our ambitious and urgent goals to achieve carbon neutrality and a clean air future,” Cliff added.