The 2022 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory released by the City of Santa Monica reveals an important progress towards the city's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) goal, which is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The report highlights a 48 percent decrease in emissions from 1990 levels. To meet the designated target, a further decrease of 32 percent is still needed.
Santa Monica's efforts thus far reflect the city's strategic, proactive, and collaborative approaches towards emissions reduction. However more work needs to be done, especially in the three major emissions contributors: vehicle transportation, building gas usage, and building electricity usage.
Vehicle transportation, the biggest source of Santa Monica's carbon emissions, recorded a 19 percent emission decrease between 2019 and 2022, as per City of Santa Monica Press Release. The reduction can in part be attributed to restricted travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. Notwithstanding a surge in emissions during the 2020-2021 period, a general trend towards lower vehicle emissions can be identified in the pre-pandemic data.
Increased fuel efficiency and the rising use of electric vehicles appear having significantly contributed to these lowered emissions. As pointed out in the City of Santa Monica Press Release, California recently legislated an increase in annual electric vehicle (EV) sales and announced a future restriction on gasoline car sales by 2035. At the federal level, numerous programs and incentives are encouraging wider adoption of EVs, and Santa Monica is enhancing its public EV charger network.
From 2019 to 2022, building gas usage, the second largest contributor to Santa Monica's carbon emissions, saw a seven percent reduction. Conversely, building electricity usage, the third largest contributor, experienced unexpectedly a 75 percent increase during the same period. This increase stems primarily from Santa Monica's decision to switch all city electricity accounts to 100 percent green power under the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) in 2019. Unfortunately, several large energy users opted out of the CPA between 2019 and 2022, resulting in an increase in emissions in this sector.
Individual actions to, reducing carbon emissions can support city-wide efforts to create a more sustainable Santa Monica. The use of tools like the EPA's Carbon Footprint Calculator can guide individuals towards making climate-friendly choices in their daily routines. Upcoming events supporting climate action include California Clean Air Day on October 4, offering free rides on Big Blue Bus, and the Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! campaign from October 2 to 6, which encourages alternative forms of transportation, according to the City of Santa Monica Press Release.
