Highlights of the Current 2023 Report
• Emissions from cars and light-duty pickup trucks reached an all-time low as fossil fuel use continued to fall. This drop occurred despite a one percent increase in vehicle miles travelled. Emissions from the state’s heavy-duty diesel vehicles also declined.
• California has decreased the carbon intensity of its economy by 57% since 2000.
• The electricity sector had its lowest carbon intensity since 2000. Wind and solar represent over 30 percent of generation and in-state solar increased by 8% from 2022, driven by requirements under the state’s Cap-and-Invest Program, also known as Cap-and-Trade and the Renewables Portfolio Standard.  
• Industrial sector emissions declined by 5% due to reductions from refineries, oil and gas extraction, cement manufacturing, cogeneration facilities, and other fossil-fuel use.  
• Livestock emissions, which are responsible for 71% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, peaked in 2012 and continued to decline in 2023. The decrease is driven by use of methane digesters at dairies funded by Cap-and-Invest auction money and incentivized by the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
• However, the residential and commercial sector had a rise in emissions, largely because of an increase in residential fossil gas use which was likely due to a colder winter in 2023.

About the Inventory

The California statewide inventory relies on data from the Mandatory Reporting Regulation, which counts emissions and reductions from about ~80% of California’s sources of human-caused climate emissions. It uses data from other state and local agencies to complete that picture. The announced plans to end federal monitoring of greenhouse gases will not affect California’s inventory.

California Continues to Stand Up For Science and Act On Climate Change

“Illegal federal attempts to derail California’s clean vehicle standards will have some impact on the state’s ability to reduce the negative health and environmental impacts of climate change. But California remains committed to addressing harmful pollution and the impacts of climate change,” CARB said.