This page last reviewed November 21, 2018
Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in California

The Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) are powerful climate forcers that remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time than longer-lived climate pollutants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). They include methane, fluorinated gases including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and black carbon. Their relative potency, when measured in terms of how they heat the atmosphere, can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times greater than that of CO2. SLCPs are harmful air pollutants and the impacts of SLCPs are especially strong over the short term. Reducing these emissions can make an immediate beneficial impact on climate change and improve public health.
Senate Bill 605 (Lara, Chapter 523, Statutes of 2014) directed CARB to develop a comprehensive SLCP strategy, in coordination with other state agencies and local air quality management and air pollution control districts to reduce emissions of SLCPs. SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) directed the Board to approve and begin implementing the plan by January 1, 2018, and set statewide 2030 emission reduction targets for methane, HFCs, and anthropogenic black carbon. The SLCP Reduction Strategy was approved by the Board in March 2017. SB 1383 also included a number of directives for addressing dairy and livestock sector methane emissions and landfill methane emissions via diversion of organic material from the waste stream.
Dairy and Livestock Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group

SB
1383 requires the formation of a dairy and livestock sector Working
Group to identify and address technical, market, regulatory,
and other
barriers to the development of dairy methane reduction projects. The
Working Group, made up of CDFA, partner agencies and a diverse group of
stakeholders and experts, will produce recommendations to advance
methane reductions on California dairies and livestock operations while
also supporting the resiliency and sustainability of California’s
world-renown dairy and livestock industry. The Working Group will also
foster important relationships and build the cooperation necessary to
maximize environmental benefits, minimize impacts to disadvantaged
communities, and utilize available resources efficiently.
SLCP Reduction Strategy Documents
SLCP Reduction StrategyResumen Ejecutive de la Estrategia de Reducción de CCVC
- Appendix A: Senate Bill 605
- Appendix B: Senate Bill 1383
- Appendix C: California SLCP Emissions
- Appendix D: Research Related to Mitigation Measures
- Appendix E: Final Environmental Analysis for the Revised Proposed SLCP Reduction Strategy
- Appendix F: Supporting Documentation for the Economic Assessment of Measures in the SLCP Strategy

In response to SB 1383 directive to develop a pilot financial mechanism to reduce uncertainty of credits associated with dairy projects producing transportation fuels, CARB produced this white paper which discuses several alternative designs for the pilot financial mechanism, estimates the potential amount of funding needed to implement a financial mechanism, provides detail on how to implement the mechanism, and lists potential program administrators that can operate such a program.
Policies to Encourage Dairy Biomethane Projects and Other Biomethane Projects to Reduce Methane EmissionsUnder SB 1383,
CARB, in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and
the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), is required to establish
energy
infrastructure development and procurement policies needed to encourage
dairy
biomethane projects to meet the SB 1383 target to reduce methane
emissions from
livestock and dairy manure management operations. The "Policies to
Encourage Dairy Biomethane Projects and Other Projects to Reduce
Methane
Emissions" document outlines CARB's existing policies adopted by the
Board
in the SLCP Reduction Strategy, and summarizes the projects that CARB
and other
State agencies are engaged in toward the development of targeted
policies to
encourage dairy biomethane and other projects to meet SB 1383’s methane
targets.
These include the Dairy and Livestock Working Group, CEC’s 2017
Integrated
Energy Policy Report, CPUC’s dairy biomethane pilots, CARB guidance on
environmental credits, CARB’s pilot financial mechanism, California
Council on
Science and Technology’s study of CPUC biomethane pipeline standards,
and the
2018 Bioeconomy Summit.
Archived Meetings and Documents Portal
Staying
in Touch
To receive electronic notices of future meetings and availability of materials, you can sign up with the climate change list server at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv_ind.php?listname=cc