SLCPs include methane, black carbon and fluorinated gases (F-gases) such as refrigerants, insulating foam and aerosol propellants. They are harmful air pollutants and powerful contributors to climate change, trapping heat at many times the level of carbon dioxide, and are responsible for about 40% of current global warming, ARB said.

The draft strategy follows Governor Brown’s announcement last Thursday that California would reduce emissions of methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 40% below current levels by 2030, and black carbon by 50% below current levels by 2030. It also comes a week after bi-partisan legislation was re-introduced in the US Senate to address SLCPs nationally.

Black Carbon. Black carbon is not one of the climate pollutants originally included in international climate frameworks, and is not included in California’s AB 32 inventory. However, the draft notes, recent studies have shown that black carbon plays a far greater role in global warming than previously believed.

Black carbon is a component of fine particulate matter, which the State has addressed for decades through its efforts to improve air quality and reduce toxic air pollution from diesel vehicles.

California has cut emissions of black carbon by well over 90% since the 1960s. These efforts avoid an estimated 5,000 premature deaths in the State each year, have cut cancer risk from exposure to air toxics by nearly 70% since 1990, and have been linked to improved lung function and capacity in children.

These reductions have come from strong efforts to reduce on-road vehicle emissions, especially diesel particulate matter. Car and truck engines used to be the largest sources of black carbon emissions in California, but California’s existing air quality policies will virtually eliminate black carbon emissions from on-road diesel engines within 10 years.

… With the large reduction in emissions of black carbon from vehicles, other sources of black carbon emissions will become more significant contributors to the State’s black carbon inventory over time. In particular, without additional actions, off-road mobile, fuel combustion in the industrial and power sectors, and residential fireplaces will account for more than three-quarters of black carbon emissions in California in 2030. However, black carbon emissions from these sources have declined significantly, as well—by almost 30 percent since 2000.

… The largest source of black carbon emissions in California, by far, is wildfire. An average wildfire season contributes two-thirds of current black carbon emissions in California. …many of California’s forests are already in a perilous condition and require accelerated management and investment to protect them. Several Federal, State, and local agencies are currently coordinating on forest planning, which will lead to the development of a comprehensive Forest Carbon Plan in 2016. As part of this and related efforts, black carbon mitigation will be considered along with forest health, carbon sequestration, habitat and watershed production, and other drivers associated with protecting our forests.

Methane. California already has measures in place to reduce methane from many of its sources, and is developing a comprehensive framework to minimize methane emissions from oil and gas systems.

The draft strategy proposes achieving additional reductions through investments, incentives, regulations and other actions to capture value from organic waste streams in California that are responsible for about half of the state’s methane emissions.

Renewable energy, compost and other products from organic waste streams could represent a billion dollar market for California, with much of the economic activity centralized in the Central Valley and rural parts of the state.

To put these resources to good use, the strategy proposes a regulation that would effectively eliminate the disposal of organics in landfills by 2025, and actions to cut methane emissions from dairy manure by 75% below current levels by 2030.

Fluorinated gases. Under AB 32, the State already has a program in place to address leaks from commercial refrigeration systems that will cut F-gas emissions by an estimated 25% in 2020 below otherwise expected levels. Additional steps are proposed in the strategy to accelerate the transition away from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in new refrigeration, air conditioning equipment and by taking early actions to significantly reduce these gases from commercial refrigeration.

International support is growing for an agreement in November to phase down the production and use of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. Doing so would significantly curtail greenhouse gas emissions from the fastest growing source globally. If an agreement is not reached in November, California may develop its own phase down, as Europe and other countries already are doing, ARB said.