California’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports a 16% decrease in transportation carbon emissions for 2020, due in part to increasing use of biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Clean Fuels Alliance America notes that the state’s analysis found the percentage of biodiesel and renewable diesel in the total diesel pool grew from 0.4% in 2011 to 20.8% in 2020 through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). According to California Air Resources Board data, biodiesel and renewable diesel generated 44% of the LCFS credits in 2020.
“As California aims to continue its progress in reducing carbon emissions, it is relying on increased production, import and blending of clean fuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel,” Clean Fuels’ CEO Donnell Rehagen stated. “Continued growth of the clean fuels sector is vital to maintaining progress in meeting carbon reduction goals and increasing climate benefits across the country.”
Without renewable fuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel, the analysis notes, California’s tailpipe fossil CO2 would have been 15 million metric tons higher in 2020. The reduction is equivalent to taking 3.2 million passenger vehicles off the road for the year.
Clean Fuels Director of State Governmental Affairs Floyd Vergara added, “Heavy duty transportation is a particularly tough sector to decarbonize just like aviation, rail, and marine transportation. California’s analysis demonstrates the critical role low carbon fuels are playing to achieve carbon reductions today. Additionally, using biodiesel and renewable diesel substantially reduces particulate matter emissions and the health impacts and costs associated with them.”