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Statistics and Data on Climate Change

California

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California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June of 2005 signed Executive Order S-3-05 to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for California. The targets are the most ambitious of any state or nation in the world. The Order directed Cal/EPA lead a multi-agency Climate Action Team to meet the targets, and to report every two years on the progress toward meeting the targets. The targets the Governor announced call for:

  • Reduction of GHG emissions to 2000 levels by 2010 - 59 million tons of emissions less, 11% below usual emissions;
  • Reduction of GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 - 145 million tons of emissions less, 25% below usual emissions;
  • By 2050, a reduction of 80% emissions below 1990 levels.

California Emissions

California contributes 1.8% of total global GHG emissions, though our state holds only 0.6% of the world's population.

California contributes 7.5% of U.S. GHG emissions, but we have 12% of the U.S. population.


Types of Greenhouse Gases In California

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from a variety of sources, but about 80 percent of California's GHG emissions come from human-generated sources; mostly from carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels (i.e. automobile driving, electricity production, and industrial sources).

chart showing greenhouse gas emissions by type
Source: California Energy Commission

Sources of Greenhouse Gases In California

From this graph, you can see that transporation (38%) and electricity production (25% - both in-state and imported) combined make up nearly two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions in California.

chart showing break-down of greenhouse gas emissions by sector
Source: California Air Resources Board, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, November 2007.


Greenhouse Gases Reduction Strategies

To reach the year 2020 goal of 427 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2 equivalent, a number of reduction strategies must be done.

graph showing how the state could meet the reduction goal by 2050
(Download 300 dpi version of above graph - 1.0 MB, jpg file.)


Benefits to California of Reducing GHG Emissions

Two separate and independent economic analyses[1] show that significantly reducing California's global warming emissions is expected to create jobs and wealth in California.

Reduced GHG emissions by 2020 would result in a net increase of 83,000 jobs and $4 billion in income due primarily to reduced energy costs, says an analysis conducted by the University of California, Berkeley. More economic benefits of less GHG emissions are predicted.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "Leading economists from UC found that eight policies can take the state over half way to meeting the 2020 reductions. These policies, such as cleaner standards for vehicles and capturing methane from landfills, can increase the Gross State Product by approximately $60 billion, and create over 20,000 new jobs."

Footnotes

  1. Hanemann, Michael and A. Farrell, "Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California," January 2006. (http://calclimate.berkeley.edu/managing_GHGs_in_CA.html) and Chapter 8, "Economic Assessment," Climate Action Team Report, March 2006 (www.climatechange.ca.gov/climate_action_team/reports/index.html)]

United States and World Data

For other world and U.S. data, please visit: