Note: Emissions data that allows for state-level comparison is from the Energy Information Administration and is limited to carbon emissions (fossil fuel combustion). Therefore, data represented here differs from analyses represented in other charts of total GHG emissions for California.
Data Source: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy; Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
Analysis by CEC Economics
Highlights
- Among the fifty states (excluding the District of Columbia), California maintained its position as the third-least carbon-intensive state (defined as MTCO2e relative to inflation-adjusted GDP) in 2022. The state reached 0.090 emissions (metric tons) per 1,000 dollars of GDP (inflation adjusted to 2021 dollars), behind only New York (0.081 MTCO2e /$1,000) and Massachusetts (0.086 MTCO2e /$1,000).
- From 2000 to 2022, carbon intensity declined at a pace of 3.3% per year. Among the fifty states, carbon intensity declined at a faster rate in only seven states (Maryland, Utah, Tennessee, Washington, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Indiana) than California.
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