California carbon emissions fell 9% in pandemic's 1st year
California's planet-warming emissions dropped by nearly 9% in 2020 compared to the year before
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's planet-warming emissions dropped nearly 9% in 2020 compared to the year before as pandemic restrictions kept people at home, out of their cars and away from the workplace for much of the year.
The data released Wednesday marks California's largest single-year emissions drop and tracks with a similar reduction nationwide. An official cautioned that the data can't be used as a marker for future trends because the pandemic caused unprecedented yet temporary economic changes.
“This year will be looked at as an outlier," Steven Cliff, executive officer for the California Air Resources Board, told reporters ahead of the data's release.
Indeed, data from the Global Carbon Project pointed to a rebound in global emissions 2021 once pandemic restrictions across the world began to ease.
