CALIFORNIA GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SINKS
INVENTORY: SUMMARY

=igure 1. CA Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 1990 through 2002	

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140
120
100 H
80
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40 -
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CA Greenhouse Gas Emissions
1990 through 2002

-20

1990 1991 1992 1933 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 XlOO 2001 2002

Year

¦ Land Use

~	Waste

~	Agriculture

~	Industry

~	Energy

The California Energy Commission report, Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions
and Sinks: 1990 to 2002 Update, provides a detailed inventory of sources and sinks of
greenhouse gases in California.1 In 1990 California emitted greenhouse gases in the amount of
101.8 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE). In 2002, emissions were 115.1
MMTCE, an overall increase of approximately 14 percent over 1990 emissions. Emissions from
industrial processes and agriculture increased the most on a percentage basis (54 percent and
26 percent, respectively). Emissions from energy and waste also increased (9 percent and 3
percent, respectively). Forestry and land use change accounted for a small sink, which
decreased in magnitude from -4.7 MMTCE in 1990 to -4.4 MMTCE in 2002.

1 Emissions were estimated using methods from EPA's 2003 El IP Document Series, Volume VIII:
Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions.


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Table 1. CA Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas and by Sector, 1990 through 2002

MMTCE

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

C02

81.8

80.2

81.9

80.2

85.1

81.0

82.1

85.1

89.3

92.0

95.6

95.8

92.7

Energy

85.0

83.3

84.8

83.4

87.7

83.5

84.4

87.2

91.9

94.3

97.8

97.6

95.2

Industrial
Processes

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.6

1.7

1.7

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.7

1.9

Land Use

-4.7

-4.6

-4.1

-4.7

-4.2

-4.1

-4.0

-3.8

-4.2

-4.0

-3.9

-3.5

-4.4

Waste

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

ch4

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.2

8.3

8.2

8.4

8.3

8.4

8.5

Energy

1.9

1.9

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

Agriculture

3.4

3.4

3.5

3.3

3.6

3.7

3.5

3.7

3.7

3.8

3.8

3.9

4.0

Land Use

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Waste

3.2

3.2

3.1

3.2

3.1

3.1

3.1

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.3

N20

8.8

8.2

8.2

8.5

8.1

8.6

8.3

7.7

7.9

7.9

8.4

8.3

9.2

Energy

4.4

4.2

4.2

4.1

4.0

4.0

3.8

3.7

3.7

3.6

3.7

3.7

3.5

Industrial
Processes

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.1

Agriculture

4.1

3.7

3.7

4.0

3.8

4.3

4.2

3.8

3.9

4.0

4.4

4.3

5.3

Land Use

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Waste

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.3

0.2

HFCs, PFCs,
and SF6

2.7

2.8

2.8

2.9

2.9

3.0

3.6

3.9

4.6

4.5

4.7

4.4

4.7

Industrial
Processes

2.7

2.8

2.8

2.9

2.9

3.0

3.6

3.9

4.6

4.5

4.7

4.4

4.7

Net Emissions

101.8

99.5

101.4

99.7

104.5

101.0

102.2

105.1

110.0

112.9

117.0

116.9

115.1

Note: Totals may differ from the sum of the sources due to independent rounding.

An asterisk (*) indicates emissions of the gas from this sector were zero, insignificant, or not reported.

All emissions are reported in million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE).


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Carbon dioxide (C02) accounted for the majority of California's emissions. These emissions
were primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, especially in the transportation sector (about 52
percent of total C02 emissions). Nitrous oxide (N20) emissions fluctuated between 1990 and
2002, with the majority of these emissions from agricultural soils and mobile source combustion.
Over the 13-year period, emissions from agricultural soils generally increased while emissions
from mobile source combustion generally decreased. Methane (CH4) was the third largest
contributor to California's emissions in 1990 and in 2002, equal to 8.5 MMTCE in both years.
Methane emissions were fairly constant over the time period and were mostly from landfills and
enteric fermentation. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur
hexafluoride (SF6) each made up a small share of the total emissions. These emissions
increased between 1990 and 2002, with 2002 emissions of these gases approximately 74%
above 1990 levels. This increase in HFC/PFC/SF6 emissions is largely due to the replacement
of ozone-depleting substances (CFCs) with HFCs, which have high global warming potentials.

Per capita emissions were 3.8 MTCE in 1990 and 3.7 MTCE in 2002. In both years, California's
per capita emissions were well below the national average, which was 6.5 MTCE per capita in
1990 and 6.4 MTCE per capita in 2002.


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