California has
ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
as part of its climate action plan, but emissions by large facilities, such as power plants and refineries, went up in 2021 compared with the year before.
These figures, which are based on reports by the large facilities emitting greenhouse gases, do not represent total greenhouse gas emissions in the state by all sources. They also do not include emissions from increasing wildfire smoke, which
a study has shown could make all the reduction efforts moot. The EPA says emissions by large facilities typically reflect about 85% to 90% of total emissions.
Greenhouse gas
refers to gas types that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Some examples of common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Transportation and electricity production are some of the top sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
California’s
AB32, landmark legislation in its climate action strategy, requires the state to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which it has already met, and 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
The increase in 2021 from 2020 puts a dent in the state’s — and nation’s — progress. “In 2021, reported emissions from large industrial sources (nationwide) were approximately 4% higher than in 2020, reflecting an increase in economic activity following the economic slowdown and decrease in emissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the EPA.
Power plants have historically produced the largest share of emissions in California and across the country. Though emissions by power plants increased in 2021, it’s a much smaller figure compared with emissions 10 years ago.
In 2012, power plants in California emitted 46 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent — about 30% more than in 2021, the EPA data shows.
“There has been an overall (nationwide) long-term decreasing trend in industry GHG emissions since 2011, primarily driven by a decrease in emissions from power plants,” the EPA said
in a news release
this week.
However, not all sectors in California have been able to decrease their emissions as much as power plants have in the past decade. The waste and petroleum sectors decreased their emissions modestly, while the metals sector, which includes steel production, increased emissions in 2021 compared with a decade ago.
Yoohyun Jung is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: yoohyun.jung@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @yoohyun_jung
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