PROVIDENCE — The state is making progress toward the emissions goals of the Act on Climate law, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, which recently announced that the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased in 2022.

At 9.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO₂e), statewide emissions dropped by 2.2% from 2021 levels. Emissions have decreased by 18.3% since 1990, according to the annual assessment of the state’s GHG emissions conducted by DEM air quality specialists. When compared to unofficial state-level data published by the Environmental Protection Agency, Rhode Island was the only New England state to see lower emissions in 2022.

Official 2022 GHG inventories from other New England states will likely be published next year. The annual inventory is the primary scientific tool used by the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) to assess progress toward the 2021 Act on Climate, which seeks to bring the state to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

According to the report, most of Rhode Island’s emissions continue to originate from transportation (36.6%), residential buildings (20.5%), and electricity consumption (18.6%). Aircraft emissions rose in 2022, but overall transportation emissions dropped by 3.4%, because the total distance that Rhode Island-registered vehicles traveled slightly declined. Emissions from residential buildings decreased by 1.2%, despite lower average temperatures compared to 2021, which could mean that advances in energy efficiency, weatherization, and heating electrification are beginning to have an impact, according to state officials.

Emissions from electricity consumption, which originate from power plants throughout New England that supply electricity to Rhode Island, decreased by 1.2%. State law partially governs emissions from this sector. In 2022, the state’s electricity providers were required to obtain at least 19% of their energy from renewable sources. Voluntary energy programs helped offset an additional 0.3% of the state’s electricity use with renewables, according to the report.

Since 1990, emissions from transportation, residential buildings, and electricity consumption decreased by 18.3%, 10.9%, and 31.7%, respectively, according to DEM. Adoption of California’s more stringent emissions standards for passenger cars, strides in building energy efficiency, and the rise of economically competitive renewable energy sources are linked to the most significant reductions, according to DEM.

Rhode Island must reduce emissions by 26.7% in the next eight years to achieve the Act on Climate’s requirement of 45% below 1990 levels by 2030.