background image

Decarbonizing California: The Golden State’s uphill battle in the climate journey

author image

By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Carbon Credits or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: California, a leader in climate policy and renewable energy, confronts significant challenges in achieving its ambitious goal of reducing emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2030
• Despite economic growth and advancements in clean energy, the state's emissions reduction pace must nearly triple to meet the target

🔭 The context: A report by Next10 and Beacon Economics highlights the urgency for California to intensify its decarbonization efforts
• The state's annual emissions reduction rate must increase from an average of 1.5% between 2010 and 2021 to 4.6% between 2022 and 2030

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: California's approach to tackling climate change, including transitioning to a greener grid and electrifying transportation, serves as a blueprint for other regions
• The state's success in increasing electric vehicle (EV) sales and advancing energy storage underscores the potential for substantial climate progress through innovation and policy

⏭️ What's next: To meet its climate goals, California must expand its grid infrastructure and embrace more renewable energy sources
• Strategies include leveraging battery storage technology to incorporate solar and wind energy, addressing rising electricity prices, and potentially extending the cap-and-trade program to support energy bill relief

💬 One quote: "While California is moving in the right direction in many ways, renewable electricity generation must greatly increase in the coming years to reach the state’s goal," - Stafford Nichols, Beacon Economics.

📈 One stat: California's emissions increased by 3.4% in 2021, totaling 381.3 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, underscoring the imperative for more aggressive reduction strategies.

Click for more news covering the latest on environmental sustainability

Did you enjoy this illuminem voice? Support us by sharing this article!
author photo

About the author

illuminem's editorial team - providing you with concise summaries of the most important sustainability news of the day.

Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter​ & Instagram

Other illuminem Voices


Related Posts


You cannot miss it!

Weekly. Free. Your Top 10 Sustainability & Energy Posts.

You can unsubscribe at any time (read our privacy policy)