Clear Evidence That Economic Growth Does Not Preclude Steep Decline in GHG Emissions

California’s economy represents 15% of US GDP, which makes it the largest state economy in the nation. And its economy keeps growing: GDP in 2019 was $3.1 Trillion in 2019, 20 % higher than in 2014. If California were a sovereign nation, it would rank as the world's fifth largest economy, ahead of India and behind Germany.

Despite California large and growing economy, the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been declining steadily since 2007 - thanks in large part to the passage of Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), otherwise known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB32 required the state to adopt a plan to limit GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. It achieved that goal four years early.

These four charts pretty much tell the tale:

Source: *California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2019, Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators California Air Resources Board.* July 28, 2021 https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/2000_2019/ghg_inventory_trends_00-19.pdf

Most of the emission reductions were in transportation and electric power:

How California achieved these reductions is a longer story, which I’ve leave for another post. However, I will close with a few hints: solar, wind, hydroelectric, fuel standards, electric and hybrid vehicles, and market-based compliance mechanisms.