California adopts lowcarbon fuel standard

On 23 April the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a regulation that will implement a new and unique lowcarbon fuel standard.
Proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger in early 1997, this new legislation is designed to reduce carbon emissions from California’s transportation by requiring refineries, producers and importers of motor fuels sold in California to reduce the carbon footprint of their products by 10 per cent by 2020, with greater cuts thereafter.

“California’s first-in-the world lowcarbon fuel standard will not only reduce global warming pollution, it will reward innovation, expand consumer choice and encourage the private investment we need to transform our energy infrastructure,” Governor Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
The rule is supposed to lower California’s carbon emissions by 16 million tonnes over the next decade, and replace 20 per cent of the state’s fossil fuels used by road transport with cleaner options, such as electricity, hydrogen, natural gas and biofuels.

To produce the more than 1.5 billion gallons of biofuels needed, more than 25 new biofuel facilities will have to be built which will create more than 3,000 new jobs, mostly in the state’s rural areas. The regulation requires providers, refiners, importers and blenders to ensure that the fuels they provide for the California market meet an average declining standard of carbon intensity, which is determined by the sum of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, transportation and consumption of a fuel.
The standard is also expected to drive the availability of plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel-cell powered cars while promoting investment in electric charging stations and hydrogen fuelling stations.

Sources: Environmental News Service and Reuters, 23 April 2009

In this issue

Reduced pollution from petrol stations

New legislation will require service stations in the EU to be equipped with petrol vapour recovery, resulting in improved protection of the environment and public health.

EU states postpone air quality compliance

Nineteen member states have so far notified the Commission that they will need time extensions to comply with EU air quality standards.

Top of the dirty thirty list

Having spewn out 31 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in 2008, the Polish Belchatow plant is listed as EU’s most polluting power station in terms of its greenhouse gas emissions. The German Niederaussem power plant was the second dirtiest and emitted nearly 25 million tonnes.

A push for cleaner industry

The new Industrial Emissions directive received its first reading in the European Parliament in March, and the Council position is expected at the end of June.

Transport emissions still on the increase

Greenhouse gas emissions from the European transport sector rose 26 per cent between 1990 and 2006, while all other sectors show a declining trend.

Particles cost billions

Health damage in Sweden from fine particle pollution costs SEK 26 billion (€ 2.4 billion) every year, according to a recent study prepared for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Small but dangerous - new facts on particles

Fine particles cause 546,000 premature deaths each year in Europe, of which 39,000 are due to emissions from international shipping.

Worse than worst case...

Carbon dioxide emissions from fossilfuel burning and industrial processes is accelerating not only in industrialized countires, but at a global scale. The emissions growth rate has been over 3 per cent for the present decade, compared to 1.1 per cent during the 1990s.

Greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries still increasing

Almost half of the signatory states to the Kyoto protocol have reached their emission targets. Still overall grenhouse gas emissions is increasing. The USA alone was responsible for over two thirds of the increase in 2007.

Shipping would profit by cutting CO2 emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from the global shipping industry could be cut by at least one fifth without any cost or even at a profit.

Environmental ship index underway

On request from several leading ports in northwestern Europe, including Le Havre, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremen and Hamburg, the Dutch research institute CE Delft has developed an environmental ship index to be implemented voluntarily from 2010 to promote greener shipping.

Ships pollute half as much as world’s cars

Since most shipping traffic takes place close to the coastline, ship emissions are a significant health concern.

The double benefits of climate policy

Action to cut greenhouse gas emissions could save millions of lives because of the cleaner air that would result.

Cleaner ship fuels to save American lives

The United States and Canada want ships to burn cleaner fuel when approaching the continent to reduce smog-related deaths.

Editorial: Europe needs Emission Control Areas

Over the last twenty years, fuel and emission standards for land-based transport have been dramatically strengthened over most of the world. But international shipping has for a long time resisted similar legislation, both as regards emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Main menu

California adopts lowcarbon fuel standard

In this issue

Reduced pollution from petrol stations

EU states postpone air quality compliance

Top of the dirty thirty list

A push for cleaner industry

Transport emissions still on the increase

Particles cost billions

Small but dangerous - new facts on particles

Worse than worst case...

Greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries still increasing

Shipping would profit by cutting CO2 emissions

Environmental ship index underway

Ships pollute half as much as world’s cars

The double benefits of climate policy

Cleaner ship fuels to save American lives

Editorial: Europe needs Emission Control Areas

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Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

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Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

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