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California Beats Its Own Emissions Reduction Goal By Four Years

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Clean air

Photo: NGerda

California has historically had a huge problem with vehicle emissions. This, as well as its expansive population, is why it has become such a big player in vehicle emissions, setting up strict goals for itself to lower its air pollution as quickly as possible. However, the state is now well ahead of schedule, as data released by the California Air Resources Board shows.


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The data specifically shows that greenhouse emissions dropped 2.7 percent in 2016 to 429.4 million metric tons. That crushes the goal deadline, as California law required that the state’s emissions drop to the levels that it produced in 1990 by 2020. In 1990, the state produced 431 million metric tons of emissions.

California emissions peaked back in 2004, since which time they have dropped by 13 percent, partially aided by a reduction in driving during the 2008 financial crisis. Even as the economy has recovered and expanded, though, emissions have continued to fall. Now, California can get an early start on reaching its 2030 target of 258.6 mission metric tons of emissions and its 2050 target of just 86.2 million metric tons.


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In 2006, then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the emissions-curbing law, and today cheered the achievement in an email to the San Francisco Chronicle, with a small jab at other politicians. Citing the state’s growing economy and low unemployment, Schwarzenegger added “[…] you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — just copy us. Business will boom and lives will be saved.”

News Source: The San Francisco Chronicle