Climate Change and Bioenergy
Bioenergy generation from organic waste is critical to meet California’s climate goals – both the near term goal of reducing methane and black carbon, known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and the longer term goal of reaching carbon neutrality. That’s because organic waste causes more than 80 percent of California’s methane and black carbon emissions, while converting that waste to energy is the largest opportunity to generate carbon negative emissions in California.
Climate scientists agree that reducing SLCPs is the most critical step we can take to address climate change because SLCPs only stay in the atmosphere a short time but are tens to thousands of times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide (CO₂) while they are in the atmosphere. Reducing SLCP emissions is one of very few measures that benefits the climate right away, unlike reductions in fossil fuels, which take decades to begin to benefit the climate.
Converting organic waste to energy with carbon capture and storage or use is also essential to achieve carbon neutrality because it is the single biggest opportunity in California to generate carbon negative emissions that will be needed to offset emissions that cannot be avoided.
Bioenergy generation from organic waste is critical to meet California’s climate goals – both the near term goal of reducing methane and black carbon, known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and the longer term goal of reaching carbon neutrality. That’s because organic waste causes more than 80 percent of California’s methane and black carbon emissions, while converting that waste to energy is the largest opportunity to generate carbon negative emissions in California.
Climate scientists agree that reducing SLCPs is the most critical step we can take to address climate change because SLCPs only stay in the atmosphere a short time but are tens to thousands of times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide (CO₂) while they are in the atmosphere. Reducing SLCP emissions is one of very few measures that benefits the climate right away, unlike reductions in fossil fuels, which take decades to begin to benefit the climate.
Converting organic waste to energy with carbon capture and storage or use is also essential to achieve carbon neutrality because it is the single biggest opportunity in California to generate carbon negative emissions that will be needed to offset emissions that cannot be avoided.