FACT SHEET How California Is Tackling Global Warming, Cutting Oil Use, and Saving Drivers Money

California's climate strategies, centered on the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, are reducing oil use and emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for nearly 40% of the state's global warming emissions. Key mechanisms include a cap-and-trade program, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), and stringent vehicle emissions standards. These policies have led to a 12% drop in oil consumption between 2006 and 2012 and are projected to save drivers money through increased fuel efficiency. Additionally, the state is investing carbon permit proceeds into disadvantaged communities and seeing a boom in clean technology investment and patent registrations.

• Transportation is the primary contributor to global warming in California, representing nearly 40 percent of the state's total annual emissions as of 2012.
• California's clean transportation policies contributed to a 12 percent decrease in oil consumption from 2006 to 2012, with gasoline consumption forecast to drop by approximately 2 billion gallons annually in 2022 compared to 2012 levels.
• The state's climate policies are reducing financial burdens for drivers; a driver purchasing a new 2015 model year car is estimated to save $3.90 per week over the vehicle's life compared to a 2008 model, with savings increasing to $9.00 per week for 2025 models.
• California is directing at least 25 percent of carbon permit sales from its cap-and-trade program to disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected by air pollution, with over $200 million allocated for the 2014–2015 fiscal year.
• Clean transportation policies have spurred economic growth, with over $5 billion in venture capital invested in the sector between 2006 and 2013 and employment in the sector more than doubling to 8,500 jobs between 2002 and 2012.
• Climate change is already causing significant economic and human costs in California, including a $1.5 billion loss to the agriculture industry during the summer of 2014 due to drought and over 650 deaths during a 2006 heat wave.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2014). FACT SHEET How California Is Tackling Global Warming, Cutting Oil Use, and Saving Drivers Money. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. FACT SHEET How California Is Tackling Global Warming, Cutting Oil Use, and Saving Drivers Money. 2014. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=FACT SHEET How California Is Tackling Global Warming, Cutting Oil Use, and Saving Drivers Money |date=September 2014 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2014fact, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{FACT SHEET How California Is Tackling Global Warming, Cutting Oil Use, and Saving Drivers Money}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2014}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }