A new report by the California Green Innovation Index suggests that California may not be on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction goals.
The big picture: California would need to triple its rate of emissions cuts since 2010 in order to achieve its aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The report indicates that emissions in California increased by 3.4% after a plunge during the pandemic, making it more challenging to meet climate goals.
- Preliminary data from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) shows a renewed decline in emissions in 2022, but 2021 levels were still above the 2030 target.
- To reach the 40% statutory goal, California would need to increase its average annual reduction from about 1.5% to 4.6%.
- Despite these challenges, the report acknowledges that California’s emissions policies are moving in the right direction, with only New York and Massachusetts having lower per capita emissions among all 50 states.
- Emissions from transportation, responsible for almost 40% of the state’s carbon footprint, surged by 7.4% from 2020 to 2021 after pandemic travel restrictions loosened.
