09/23/2008 GAAS:649:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Western Climate Initiative’s Regional Climate Change Program
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
issued the following statement today on the release of the Western Climate
Initiative's (WCI) final design recommendations for a regional cap-and-trade
program, which will reduce the pollution that causes global warming in seven
Western states and four Canadian provinces:
"This is an important roadmap for
what will be the most comprehensive climate program in North
America. We're sending a strong message to our federal governments
that states and provinces are moving forward in the absence of federal action,
and we're setting the stage for national programs that are just as aggressive. This
proposal goes hand-in-hand with California's
landmark climate change efforts and is an essential part of helping us meet our
AB 32 goals. With all our states and provinces equally committed, we can
achieve the largest amount of emission reductions in the world while spurring
renewable energy development and creating green jobs."
The Western Climate Initiative was
launched in February 2007 by the governors of Arizona,
California, New Mexico,
Oregon and Washington to develop regional strategies to
address climate change. The initiative expanded to include the states of Montana and Utah, and
the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The partners set
a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent below 2005
levels by 2020.
When implemented, the WCI program
will be the most comprehensive carbon-reduction strategy adopted anywhere in
the world. It is "economy-wide," meaning that all sectors - energy, housing,
forestry, agriculture and transportation - participate in addressing climate
change as well as receive the economic benefits. Together, the seven states and
four provinces that make up the WCI represent over 70 percent of the Canadian
economy and 20 percent of the U.S.
economy.
The WCI is moving parallel to California's implementation of AB 32, the Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006. By working together on WCI, our states and provinces
are building compatible systems to ensure that our programs can be linked for
maximum environmental benefits at the lowest cost.
For more information on the WCI, go to http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org.
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