Highlight
- The share of GHG emissions from the transportation sector was 37.9 percent in 2020—a reasonably significant decrease from 41.2 percent in 2019. The sector’s GHG emissions totaled 139.86 MMTCO2e in 2020, down 26.76 MMTCO2e (-16.1%) from 2019. In the transportation sector, GHG emissions dropped 16.5 percent from on-road vehicles (-24.89 MMTCO2e; most of the GHG emissions decrease came from the light-duty vehicles segment) and also decreased 12.2 percent (-1.86 MMTCO2e) from off-road vehicles.23 Emissions from light-duty passenger cars fell by 19.8 percent and from light-duty trucks and SUVs by 18.5 percent from 2019 to 2020. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse survey (as of March 2021) 59.6 percent of adults in households worked onsite, whereas 42.4 percent of adults in households (at least one) had substituted some or all of their typical in-person work for telework because of pandemic.24
23 Off-road vehicles include airport ground support equipment, construction and mining equipment, industrial equipment, and oil drilling equipment.
24 Measuring Household Experiences during the Coronavirus Pandemic. U.S. Census Bureau. September 14, 2022. Retrieved From: https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/household-pulse-survey.html
Opportunity
- GHG emissions from heavy-duty trucks have ample room to decrease further, with California’s focus on electrifying heavy-duty trucks. Moving forward, the state can anticipate further emissions reductions from the heavy-duty sector, given that EPA will issue two major regulations: the Clean Trucks Plan (proposed in 2021) will be finalized this year and set new stringent emissions standards from trucks in model year 2027; and an update issued on current GHG standards to capture the zero-emission market shift in the heavy-duty vehicle sector.25 In addition, included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are substantial funds for zero-emission trucks, with up to $40,000 in tax credits for each commercial ZEV and $1 billion for grants for class 6 and 7 heavy-duty zero-emission trucks, which would also help accelerate the decarbonization of heavy-duty trucks.26 Looking ahead, as part of the California Air Resources Board’s approach to accelerate zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles, the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation was approved in 2021. The draft Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation proposed all 100 percent zero-emission drayage trucks, last mile delivery, and government fleets by 2035, as well as and local buses by 2040 and capable utility fleets by 2040.27,28
25 The Clean Trucks Plan, to be finalized in 2022, will apply to heavy-duty vehicles starting in model-year 2027. That action will set new standards for criteria pollutants for the entire sector as well as targeted updates to the current GHG emissions standards. A second rule would set more stringent GHG emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles sold as soon as model year 2030 and beyond. Available at: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P1012ON0.pdf
26 Federal and state laws and incentives related to alternative fuels and advanced vehicles can be retrieved from: https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/search?keyword=Public+Law+117-169
27 Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Summary. California Air Resources Board. Oct. 27,2022. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/advanced-clean-fleets-regulation-summary
28 Advanced Clean Trucks. California Air Resources Board. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-trucks
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