California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office released a press statement on Friday announcing that the state will prohibit issuing new permits for hydraulic fracturing after January 2024 keeping in mind the state’s agenda for a carbon-neutral environment. 

Gavin’s initiative will be facilitated by the efforts of California’s Air Resources Board, which has been directed by state authorities to gradually diminish the current ways of oil extraction and work on alternate methods.

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California aims to achieve the goal by 2045, which is likely to be compromised with the continued practice of fracking, a process breaking rocks to gain access to underground oil reserves.

According to the press release, California’s Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management has been assigned the responsibility to come up with mechanisms to curb the issuance of fracking permits in the state.

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The press release also quoted the California Governor saying, “The climate crisis is real, and we continue to see the signs every day. As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation sector and create a healthier future for our children, I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil.”  

The announcement comes just a day after US President Joe Biden hosted a virtual international summit to address climate change and environmental conservation. Biden, in his opening address at the summit, said that the US pledges to cut back its greenhouse emissions by 50% before the end of this decade.