CARB approves action plan to shift California away from fossil fuels

By 2045, this economy-wide shift away from fossil fuels seeks to reduce fossil fuel consumption (liquid petroleum) to less than one-tenth of what we use today—a 94 per cent reduction in demand, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 85 per cent below 1990 levels, reduce smog-forming air pollution by 71 per cent, create 4 million new jobs and save Californians $200 billion in health costs due to pollution in 2045.

CARB is the lead agency for climate change programmes and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. Its mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.

The plan also responds to concerns raised by leaders from those communities, including members of the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC). The 2022 Scoping Plan includes a commitment to build no new fossil gas-fired power plants and increases support for mass transit. It also calls for a multi-agency process to ensure that the transition away from oil extraction and refining is equitable.

“Implementing this plan will achieve deep decarbonization of our entire economy, protect public health, provide a solid foundation for continued economic growth, and drastically reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuel combustion. It will clear the air in our hardest hit communities,” said CARB chair Liane Randolph in a release.

The plan also includes actions to capture and store carbon through the state’s natural and working lands (including its forests), and calls upon a variety of mechanical approaches to remove and safely store carbon dioxide to address the remaining 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions that will remain in 2045 after the stringent direct reductions from every regulated source.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)