September 2014 Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in California Fighting climate change and protecting public health Governor Jerry Brown “California is committed to moving down a path of aligning our economy and our way of life with the demands of nature... We have to get other states and other nations on a similar path forward.” 3 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Short-lived climate pollutants are powerful climate forcers that remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time than longer-lived climate pollutants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Their relative potency, when measured in terms of how they heat the atmosphere, can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times greater than that of CO2. Reducing these emissions can make an immediate beneficial impact on climate change. Mary D. Nichols Chairman of the California Air Resources Board “We can’t adequately address the challenge of climate change without fast, global action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Taking that action will also save millions of lives, hundreds of billions of dollars in avoided health costs, and deliver immediate climate benefits that we’ll feel today.” 4 Short-Lived Climate Pollutants • Methane • Black carbon • Fluorinated gases (“F-gases”) • Tropospheric ozone Ozone and black carbon are also harmful air pollutants. Broad action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants can cut global warming in half by 2050 and save an estimated 2.4 million lives annually, by 2030. California’s 2012 Greenhouse Gas Inventory using 100 year and 20-year global warming potential values 100 Year 20 Ye 3% Nitrous Oxide 4% F-gases 8% Methane 6% Black Carbon 80% Carbon Dioxide 20 Year ous Oxide 2% Nitrous Oxide ses 6% F-gases hane 17% Methane k Carbon 15% Black Carbon on Dioxide 60% Carbon Dioxide The impacts of short-lived climate pollutants are especially strong over the short term: Their impact on warming more than doubles, to almost 40 percent of California’s greenhouse gas inventory, when “global warming potentials” are computed over 20 years, rather than 100 years. 3 California is committed to reducing emissions of CO2 , which is the most abundant greenhouse gas and drives long-term climate change. However, short-lived climate pollutants have been shown to account for 30-40 percent of global warming experienced to date. Immediate and significant reduction of both CO2 and short-lived climate pollutants is needed to stabilize global warming and avoid catastrophic climate change. California’s Leadership in Reducing Emissions Over the past several decades, California’s actions to improve air quality, fight climate change, and protect public health have resulted in significant reductions in emissions of short-lived climate pollutants: • Black carbon · Anthropogenic emissions are 90 percent lower than in the 1960s, and will be cut in half again by 2020. • F-gases · Regulations adopted under AB 32 will reduce emissions 25 percent by 2020. • Methane · California has taken steps to reduce emissions from the agricultural, waste treatment, and oil and gas sectors. California’s Diesel Consumption vs. Black Carbon Concentration 0.8 Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentration 3.5 0.7 3.0 0.6 2.5 0.5 2.0 0.4 1.5 0.3 1.0 0.2 Distillate Fuel Oil Consumption 0.5 0.0 ‘60 0.1 0 ‘65 ‘70 ‘75 ‘80 ‘85 ‘90 ‘95 ‘00 ‘05 Significant reductions in black carbon emissions are a direct result of California’s diesel fuel and engine regulations. 6 Energy Consumed (1015 BTU) Statewide Annual Average BC (μg/m2) 4.0 Methane Methane is the principal component of natural gas. Its emissions contribute to background ozone in the lower atmosphere (troposphere), which itself is a powerful greenhouse gas and contributes to ground level air pollution. The atmospheric concentration of methane is growing as a result of human activities in the agricultural, waste treatment, and oil and gas sectors. Capturing methane from these sources can improve pipeline safety, and provide fuel for vehicles and industrial operations that displaces fossil natural gas use. California 2012 Methane Emission Inventory O IL & THER S O A G 4% 3% at er c. 4% 21% en r te ic fe r m t en ion landfills t. 2 8% RE gm ric em e nur CUL TU ma 3% 5 at AGRI WASTE es w t ion lin te al & mis duc pe as % 31 pro pi w industri 6% Reducing Methane Emissions in California Agriculture • Feed-in tariff · The bioenergy feed-in-tariff program includes 90 megawatts for dairy digesters and other projects that capture methane from agricultural byproducts. • Offset protocols · The Cap-and-Trade Program includes an offset protocol to reduce methane from dairies. A proposed protocol to reduce methane from rice cultivation is under development. • Low carbon fuel standard · The Low Carbon Fuel Standard provides strong financial incentives to use captured methane from dairies and other sources as a transportation fuel. Waste • Landfills · California has significantly reduced methane emissions from landfills through local and state regulations requiring gas collection and control measures. • Reducing solid waste · California has set a goal of diverting 75 percent of solid waste from landfills by 2020. • Feed-in tariff · The bioenergy feed-in-tariff program includes 110 megawatts for wastewater treatment and waste diversion projects. • Low carbon fuel standard · The Low Carbon Fuel Standard provides strong financial incentives to use captured methane from landfills and anaerobic digestion facilities as transportation fuel. • State grants · California has issued $39 million in grants over the last five years to turn organic waste material into methane for use as a transportation fuel. California’s 2014/2015 Budget allocates $25 million for composting, anaerobic digestion, and recycling. • Wastewater · State agencies are coordinating efforts through the Wastewater Biogas Working Group to capture and utilize methane from wastewater treatment. Oil and Gas • Capturing fugitive methane from oil and gas production · The Air Resources Board is working with local air districts on a 2015 rulemaking to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production, processing, storage, and well stimulation (including hydraulic fracturing). 8 Black Carbon Black carbon is a component of fine particulate matter, which has been identified as a leading environmental risk factor for premature death. It is produced from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass burning, particularly from older diesel engines and forest fires. Black carbon warms the atmosphere by absorbing solar radiation, influences cloud formation, and darkens the surface of snow and ice, which accelerates heat absorption and melting. BLACK CARBON ad ce N la s r oa e fir ild LL A RE ) w NATUR A ND S FI AG ing 2% ( 7 % d 15% o f f- b urn 52 SP - ro RE ep 3% AN IO AT RT fir 2% 12% on 9% co ok i ng pre scr ibe d TR 5% O .& CO OTHER . MM misc. S California 2012 Black Carbon Emission Inventory Reducing Black Carbon Emissions in California Transportation • Cleaner trucks and buses · Current regulations will reduce black carbon emissions from existing trucks and buses by 80 percent in 2020, compared to 2000 levels. • Off-road and construction equipment · New engine standards for off-road vehicles will reduce their black carbon emissions by 60 percent in 2020, compared to 2000 levels. • Clean fuel rules · Clean Fuel Specifications enable cleaner vehicle technologies for both cars and trucks. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard provides a strong financial incentive to develop clean fuel alternatives that lead to little or no emissions of black carbon. • Cleaner freight technologies · The Air Resources Board is developing a Sustainable Freight Strategy that will move California to a near-zero emission freight transport by 2050. The Strategy will be presented to the Board in December 2014. • Funding for cleaner cars and trucks · Approximately $1.6 billion has been distributed over the past 15 years to clean up diesel engines and reduce black carbon emissions. Agriculture • Smoke management · State and local air district smoke management programs are significantly reducing the impacts of agricultural burning. Commercial and Residential • Residential fireplace rules · Mandatory and voluntary rules adopted by large air districts are restricting wood-burning in residential fireplaces and heaters, cutting black carbon emissions from those sources in half over the last decade. • Commercial cooking · Local air districts are regulating emissions from commercial cooking operations. 10 Fluorinated Gases (F-Gases) Fluorinated gases are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in California and globally. They include ozone-depleting substances that are being phased out globally under the Montreal Protocol, and their primary substitute, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Most F-gas emissions come from leaks of these gases in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Emissions also come from aerosol propellants, fire suppressants, and foam-expansion agents. F-GAS California 2012 F-gas Emission Inventory SP TIO TA R O N .2% % 19 re TR AN OTHER fri ge ra l foa refrigerant m& ae r ig fr re S RE m 2% 4% 12% INDUSTRIAL 9 foa IDE & 7% ol er an t oso 2% AL l ros NTI ros o e ran t M E RC I A L & ae ae 13% foa m refrig 41% sol COM nt ae ro Reducing F-Gas Emissions in California Residential • Consumer uses · Consumer product regulations are reducing F-gas emissions from small containers of automotive refrigerant and aerosol propellants. Commercial and Industrial • Large refrigeration systems · The Refrigerant Management Program requires inspections, registration, and repairs to avoid leaks from large refrigeration systems. • Offset protocol for ‘ODS’ gases · The Cap-and-Trade program includes an offset protocol for the recovery and destruction of ozone-depleting substances from used appliances. Transportation • Automotive refrigerant improvements · California’s Low Emission Vehicle Standards provide credit for the use of refrigerants with lower global warming potentials and from avoiding leaks in new vehicles. Collaborative Action to Phase-Down HFCs California is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other partners to develop programs to phase-down HFC production. The State will also consider the feasibility of phasing down the production and import of HFCs by about 80 percent by 2030. This aligns with commitments by the U.S., European Union, China, and leaders of the G-20 countries to phase-down the production of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. 12 Significant, Immediate Benefits The United Nations Environment Program estimates that by 2030, using technologies and strategies available today, we can reduce global emissions of methane by 40 percent, black carbon by 80 percent, and HFC emissions by 80 percent from expected levels. These reductions will deliver immediate and tangible climate, air quality, economic, and health benefits. Potential Benefits From Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants by 2030 Global Climate Change Benefits • Cut global warming in half, by 0.6oC in 2050, and by 1.4oC in 2100. • Reduce warming in the Arctic by two-thirds (0.7oC) by 2040. • Reduce sea level rise by 25 percent. • Increase chances of keeping average warming below 2oC to greater than 90 percent by 2050. Global Air Quality, Health, and Economic Benefits • Save 2.4 million lives per year globally. • Avoid more than 30 million metric tons of agricultural crop losses. • Preserve key ecosystems, like the Amazon rainforest. • Provide hundreds of billions of dollars in climate, crop, and health benefits. 11 Benefits in California • Improve health in disadvantaged communities. • Reduce risk for premature death. • Reduce air pollution-related hospitalizations and associated medical expenses. • Reduce damage to forests and crops. • Reduce background ozone levels to help meet federal air quality standards. • Reduce disruption of rainfall patterns and improve water storage in Sierra snowpack. 14 Committed Leadership Advancing the Science The State is continuing to advance the science in this evolving field, including: • Characterizing methane emissions. • Researching strategies to reduce emissions from all sources, including enteric fermentation (digestive processes in livestock). • Examining the climate impacts of particles emitted with black carbon, such as “brown carbon” (the organic fraction of particulate matter from biomass burning). Developing a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy The Air Resources Board is leading a collaborative process to develop California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy.  This is one of many new actions related to short-lived climate pollutants that were recommended in the Climate Change Scoping Plan Update. The effort will engage scientific experts, identify additional measures to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, and will build upon California’s leading commitments to reduce climate and air pollution. 13 Fostering Global Action California is partnering with a number of subnational and national governments to address climate change and reduce air pollution. Agreements signed with governments in Mexico, China, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and others can serve to accelerate the global progress to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. California will continue to engage with willing partners at the national and subnational level to accelerate action on climate change. 16 California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board For more information, visit