Amended  IN  Senate  March 04, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 596

Introduced by Senator Becker

February 18, 2021

An act to add Section 38561.5 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 596, as amended, Becker. Greenhouse gases: cement and concrete production.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the 1990 level by 2030.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and adverse air quality impacts from cement and concrete production, as provided.

This bill would require the state board, by December 31, 2022, to develop a comprehensive strategy for California’s cement and concrete sector to reduce the carbon intensity of concrete used in the state by at least 40% from 2019 levels by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, but no later than 2045. The bill would require the state board, in developing the strategy, among other things, to identify modifications to existing measures and evaluate new measure, including a low-carbon product standard for concrete or cement, to achieve those objectives.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Climate change is an urgent threat to the health and well-being of California’s residents and economy.
(2) California is a global leader on climate action and has committed to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2045, in line with the latest climate science.
(3) Achieving this objective will require advance planning, coordination, outreach, and development of a robust set of policies tailored to the needs and opportunities of every major emitting sector, including cement and concrete, which is responsible for over 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
(4) California’s cement and concrete industry is well positioned to lead and accelerate the commitments to achieve carbon neutrality made by leading trade associations representing cement producers globally and in the United States.
(5) A wide range of commercially available technologies and practices exist to reduce and remove emissions of greenhouse gases throughout the life cycle of cement and concrete production, use, and disposal.
(6) Implementing these strategies will also reduce air pollution and improve public health in California communities.
(7) Positioning California’s cement and concrete sector to thrive in a low-carbon economy will enhance its long-term competitiveness and support high-quality jobs.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that attaining net-zero or net-negative emissions of greenhouse gases from the cement and concrete sector in a manner that enhances California’s competitiveness, supports high-paying jobs, improves public health, and aligns with local community priorities becomes a pillar of the state’s strategy for achieving carbon neutrality.

SEC. 2.

 Section 38561.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

38561.5.
 (a) For purposes of this section, “low carbon product standard” means a technology-neutral and performance-based standard similar to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (Subarticle 7 (commencing with Section 95480) of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations) to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of products sold in California over time on a life-cycle basis.
(b) By December 31, 2022, as part of, or in coordination with, the scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561, the state board shall develop a comprehensive strategy for California’s cement and concrete sector to reduce the carbon intensity of concrete used within the state by at least 40 percent from 2019 levels by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, but no later than 2045. In developing the strategy, the state board shall do all of the following:
(1) Develop life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions reporting and tracking mechanisms for cement and concrete used in California, including both of the following:
(A) Life-cycle greenhouse gas intensity metrics for cement and concrete that are comparable across different formulations and strength classes.
(B) Standardized calculations and tools to enable the greenhouse gas intensity of cement and concrete from each supplier and for each product variation of a supplier to be determined and reported in a consistent manner.
(2) Evaluate the average volume-weighted greenhouse gas intensity of concrete used within the state during 2019 to establish a baseline from which to measure reductions.
(3) Identify modifications to existing measures and evaluate new measures to achieve the objectives described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, a low-carbon product standard for concrete or cement.
(4) Prioritize actions that reduce adverse air quality impacts and support economic and workforce development in communities neighboring cement plants.
(5) Include provisions to minimize and mitigate potential leakage.
(6) Coordinate and consult with other state agencies, districts, and experts in academia, industry, and public health, and with local communities.
(7) Prioritize actions that leverage federal incentives where applicable to reduce costs and increase economic value for the state.
(8) Evaluate measures to support the use of building materials with low embodied greenhouse gas emissions, including low-carbon concrete utilizing cement with net-zero or net-negative greenhouse gas emissions.
(9) Select one or more communities located adjacent to a cement plant for a community emissions reductions program pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 44391.2.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and adverse air quality impacts from cement and concrete production by strengthening and standardizing emissions disclosure requirements, setting emissions reduction targets for the sector commensurate with California’s statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, and creating incentives to support the adoption of technologies and best practices to reduce emissions throughout the supply chain.