Climate Change and Bioenergy
Bioenergy can significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing methane from organic waste and black carbon from wildfires. Bioenergy also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by providing low-carbon energy and fuels. And bioenergy can reduce petroleum-based fertilizers by producing biochar, biosolids, and digestate, which are organic soil amendments. BAC promotes policies and research to better capture the climate benefits of bioenergy production. Those include allocating cap and trade revenues to bioenergy development, helping to shape the state’s plan to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, promoting the adoption of additional carbon offset protocols, helping to shape the AB 32 Scoping Plan Update, and more.
Air Board Adopts 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan
The California Air Resources Board adopted California’s 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan in December. The Scoping Plan is California’s blueprint for achieving its climate goals. The 2022 Plan includes several new areas of focus, including a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality, how to reduce carbon emissions and increase sequestration on natural and working lands, carbon…
California Finalizes Organic Waste Diversion Regulations
In 2016, California enacted Senate Bill 1383 to reduce the most damaging climate pollutants, known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. The bill requires a 40 percent reduction in methane emissions and a 50 percent reduction in anthropogenic black carbon by 2030. As part of the methane reduction requirement, the legislation requires a 75 percent reduction in…