Taking California to Copenhagen

As world leaders gathered for a summit on global warming in Copenhagen, Environment California worked to bring California’s leadership to the global stage.

Strengthening Obama’s hand
Twelve years ago, we failed to get the job done in Kyoto—and the United States was a big part of that failure. This time around, we had about as strong an environmental president as possible representing us in Copenhagen. President Obama has already directed the EPA to expand emission standards for cars to slash pollution, including carbon dioxide. He has called on Congress to make bold steps to invest in clean energy and cap greenhouse gas emissions.

Unfortunately, the president’s clean energy agenda is being stymied by partisan bickering and reactionary politics. President Obama’s visionary global warming and energy plan is getting bogged down by powerful special interests—coal and oil companies—as well as stick-in-the-mud politicians.

Clearly, the president’s hand would be strongest in Copenhagen if we had passed a comprehensive energy and global warming bill in Congress. But it’s not the only way the United States can reduce emissions and show progress on the fight against global warming.

State leadership is the key
States have been taking action. To date, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey have passed global warming caps. If these six states were a separate country, they would rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy and seventh-leading emitter of carbon dioxide. Collectively, these six states have committed to reducing global warming emissions by approximately 13 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. That’s real progress.

As Copenhagen neared, Environment California worked to change the view of America’s progress on global warming by showing the progress in California and other states. We released new research to document the 536 million metric tons of CO2 reductions that will result from state and federal policies. The New York Times wrote an editorial based on our report titled “Where Action is on Climate,” which highlights California’s groundbreaking pollution control programs.

We produced a video with TckTckTck and the Environmental Media Association to show the world “We’re ready” to solve global warming. Legislative Director Dan Jacobson went to Copenhagen to bring this message directly to the delegates.

While in Copenhagen, Jacobson meet with Govs. Schwarzenegger, Gregoire (Wash.), and Doyle (Wis.), along with several mayors who were all in favor of solving global warming.

Although world leaders have come together as never before to address the threat of global warming, more needs to be done to protect the planet. Environment California is working to increase pollution reduction from cars, and pass a national cap on pollution.