Uncategorized

Proposition 4 (Climate Bond) Embraced by Voters

Posted by CLR

Proposition 4, a $10 billion dollar bond measure to fund environmental and climate projects, passed by a clear margin according to the Secretary of State. The election will not be formally certified until December 13, 2024, but the results for this proposition are not expected to change.

Funding would be directed at climate adaptation activities as follows, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office:

(Source: LAO, Proposition 4 Authorizes Bonds for Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, and Protecting Communities and Natural Lands From Climate Risks. Legislative Statute (November 5, 2024).)

Good News:  CARB Reports Emissions Are Expected to Be Slightly Down in 2023 Compared to 2021 and 2022 (Bad News, They Remain Up as Compared to 2020)

Posted by CLR

CARB recently released a preliminary greenhouse gas inventory reporting that the state’s emissions decreased in 2022 and 2023 as compared with 2021.  The bad news is that overall emissions remain up as compared to the 369 MMTCO2e that was previously reported for 2020. 

Reporting by Scoping Plan sector in units of million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), CARB revealed that emissions are on an upward trend:

Sector2021 GHG Inventory (MMTCO2e)Ratio of MRR Emissions (2022/2021)Estimated 2022 Emissions (MMTCO2e)Estimated 2023Emissions (MMTCO2e)
Transportation1460.9889144141.7±5.4
Electric Power620.95275960.4 ±1.7
Industrial740.99117373.5 ±0.4
Residential & Commercial390.98413838.6 ±0.4
Agriculture31N/A3131.2±0.2
High GWP21N/A2121.2±0.1
Recycling & Waste  8N/A88.5 ±0.0
Total381376375.1 ±8.2

August 7, 2024 Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee (IEMAC) Meeting

Posted by CLR

The IEMAC Meeting will be held in the CalEPA building on August 7, 2024 at 2:30 to 5:00 located at 1001 I Street, Sierra Hearing Room, 2nd Floor. Zoom and phone participation are also available. Register in advance using this Zoom link. The public may also participate by phone: Dial +1 (877) 853-5247 (US Toll Free); the meeting ID is: 978 1483 2023, the passcode is: 661610.

The agenda is published. The committee will apparently hear a presentations on carbon removals and carbon management, featuring guest speakers, discuss the July 10, 2024 CARB cap-and-trade workshop materials, and plan for the 2024 IEMAC Annual Report. If you are interested, plan to attend because the meetings are not recorded and the meeting minutes are spare.

IEMAC Opines that California is NOT on Target to Hit Emissions Goals

Posted by CLR

The IEMAC makes a number of recommendations in its 2023 annual report, covering greenhouse gas accounting, affordability, market links with other jurisdictions, and subsurface carbon management.

IEMAC’s recommendations are based on the backdrop that, while emissions are on a downward trend, California is not on track to hit its emission reduction targets in 2030.

First, IEMAC recommends adjustments to the methodology employed by CARB in accounting for emissions. It noted several methodological concerns. 

  • Among other things, IEMAC notes that CARB should reevaluate the calculation of biogenic CO₂ emissions as this could encourage certain mitigation measures notwithstanding controversy over whether biogenic CO₂ ought to be treated differently from fossil CO₂.
  • IEMAC recommends changes in the treatment of land sector emissions and removals, which are presently excluded from California’s GHG inventory, but in light of recent wildfire seasons comprise a significant source of CO₂. 
  • IEMAC recommends the adjustment of the 1990 statutory emissions baseline, since CARB recently shifted to using MRR data as the primary source for the GHG Inventory; this change was viewed as improving data accuracy but also had the effect of retrospectively lowering historical emission estimates. The IEMAC recommended that this change underscores the need to review and possibly adjust the 1990 baseline to maintain policy stringency.

Second, IEMAC addresses concerns about policy equity in the climate transition. 

  • IEMAC emphasize that vulnerable Californians bear the brunt of these climate impacts, and that the transition to a zero-emission economy must be both affordable and equitable, particularly benefiting disadvantaged communities. It notes that current approaches, such as raising electricity prices to fund wildfire mitigation, disproportionately affect low-income households.
  • It argues for a shift towards more cost-effective strategies, advocating for the role of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions market. It stresses the market’s flexibility in promoting least-cost abatement strategies compared to rigid regulations, potentially lowering overall mitigation costs. IEMAC also recommends tighter regulations and adjustments to allowance supply as part updates to the market.

Third, IEMAC encourages California to share its policies.  It argues that while California emits a small fraction of global greenhouse gases, its policies and technologies have a disproportionate impact due to their potential for replication and adoption beyond state borders.

  • It cites examples like California’s cap-and-trade system, which was linked early with Quebec’s through the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), demonstrating the potential for collaborative emission reductions across regions.
  • It advocates for expanding these linkages, particularly with Washington State’s recently passed Climate Commitment Act, which mirrors California’s. 
  • They argue that expansion actually improves efficiency by reducing administrative costs and stabilizing business costs across a larger market.

The Climate Data Dashboard

Posted by CLR

The state of California has a lot of information on how it is performing in terms of meeting its climate goals, but this data is not always easy to find. To address this issue, a website has been created to provide a concise, easy-to-use overview of most of the major sources of climate law data and reporting from state regulators and state watchdogs

By compiling and regularly updating information on certain key state policies and actors, the website aims to provide both casual readers and researchers with straightforward access to the full scope of California’s climate reporting. Readers can find detailed information on these reports and data by following links provided.

Project Proposal

Posted by CLR

I am a climate law researcher.  The idea for this site was born from my frustrations in that context.

The state of California has a lot of information on how it is performing in terms of meeting its climate goals, but this data is not always easy to find. While there is significant transparency in California regarding its climate policies, in the sense that there are lots of laws requiring study and publication of emission reductions, policy effectiveness, and the like, there is no page where all of this data is collected on one website.  Most people don’t even know about the studies and reports they are so buried. It’s frustrating for me when I have to hunt them down all the time and I imagine it might be frustrating for others.  I felt like the transparency in practice was missing as a result.

To address this issue, this website has been created to provide a concise, hopefully easy-to-use overview of most of the major sources of climate law data and reporting from state regulators and state watchdogs. By compiling and regularly updating information on certain key state policies and actors, the website aims to provide both casual readers and researchers with straightforward access to the full scope of California’s climate reporting. Readers can get a general understanding of the sources of data and reporting by exploring the pages of this website and more detailed information on these reports and data by following links provided.

This site may change over time, and it may not. But for the time being, the I will include (1) a brief description of each entity tasked with reporting on the effectiveness of California’s climate policy and (2) links to their reports, or whatever form the information is available. For some, there are no reports and the information is buried in meeting agendas or videos of public meetings.

Someday, maybe, I’ll expand the site to include more functionality like news reports, conferences, and other information like podcasts and the like, but that would be way down the line.

Thanks being here. We’re all in this together.