The US state of California has voted for a 30% carbon intensity reduction of its transportation fuel pool by 2030 under updates to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced on its website.
The updates also set a target to reduce the carbon intensity of the state’s transport fuel pool by 90% by 2045, said CARB, which is responsible for protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programmes and actions to fight climate change.
In addition, the amendments increased support for zero-emissions infrastructure, including for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and made more transit agencies eligible to generate credits.
The LCFS reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by setting a declining carbon intensity target for transportation fuels used in California; producers that do not meet established benchmarks can buy credits from others that do meet targets.
Since its introduction, the system had generated US$4b/year in private sector investment towards a cleaner transportation sector, CARB said.
To date, the LCFS has reduced the carbon intensity of California’s fuel mix by almost 13% and replaced 70% of diesel used in the state with cleaner alternatives, according to the association, which guides 35 local air pollution districts.
“The proposal approved today strikes a balance between reducing the environmental and health impacts of transportation fuel used in California and ensuring that low-carbon options are available as the state continues to work toward a zero-emissions future,” CARB chair Liane Randolph said.
California is the largest-consuming and fastest-growing US state and is responsible for driving the country’s surge in renewable diesel capacity and production, according to a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report ‘Renewable Diesel Production Growth Drastically Impacts Global Feedstock Trade’ published in June 2024.
As renewable diesel did not have a blending limit, an influx of private investment had increased production capacities, spurred by the long-term demand stability created by the LCFS, the report said.
Between 2020 and 2023, growth in Californian consumption of renewable diesel was more than double the consumption in the rest of the USA.
Biomass-based diesel accounted for about 60% of the California diesel pool, while the rest of the USA remained in the low single digits, the USDA report said.
