California Must Accelerate Actions Now to Meet 2030 Emissions Reduction Goal

For California to meet its 2030 (and 2045) decarbonization goals, it must quadruple its annual rate of greenhouse gas reductions by adopting market-transforming policies within the next one to two years. This is according to “Mind the Gap: Policies for California’s Countdown to 2030,” a new paper published by Edison International.

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Edison International - Mind the Gap: Policies for California's Countdown to 2030 edison.com/MindtheGap.

“California is already experiencing the accelerating and compounding effects of climate change,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. “Not only must public policy address the uncertainty and risk inherent in climate change, it must be reframed to redress historical, present and future inequities, such as the greater impact climate change is having on low-income residents and communities of color. This has significant implications for planning, funding needs, funding mechanisms and program and project execution. At Edison, we will continue working in partnership with the state and federal governments and with other stakeholders, including the communities we serve, to advance policies.”

Previous papers from Southern California Edison, Edison International’s utility subsidiary, identified an achievable and affordable route to realize California's 2030 and 2045 greenhouse gas reduction goals by dramatically increasing renewable energy and storage, using that clean energy to electrify other sectors like transportation and buildings, employing low-carbon fuels like clean hydrogen for hard-to-electrify applications and using carbon capture.

“Mind the Gap: Policies for California’s Countdown to 2030” is Edison International’s analysis of the policy changes and additions needed to ensure that California meets its 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal — a reduction vital for the state to ultimately achieve its goal to decarbonize its economy by 2045.

California has been reducing GHG emissions by an average of 1% per year since 2005, which is notable given California’s economy has grown 3% per year over the same period. To meet its 2030 goal, however, the reduction must rise to 4.1% each year through 2030. The reductions resulting from current policies, even if successfully implemented, will fall short of the 2030 target by about 30 million metric tons.