Sacramento – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today officially adopted a plan for achieving California’s global warming goals per AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The so-called Scoping Plan unanimously approved today by the Board is the nation’s first comprehensive plan to reduce global warming pollution on an economy-wide basis. The plan charts a course toward a future in which California gets more of its energy from renewable resources, uses energy more efficiently, and ultimately requires polluters to pay for the right to pollute the air.
“For two years, the world has been watching California set the stage for how it plans to solve global warming,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, director of Clean Energy and Global Warming Programs for Environment California. “Today the curtain has been lifted and to this we say ‘Bravo!’”
The California Scoping Plan, a virtual roadmap for achieving the state’s goal of reducing global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020, a 25-30% decrease from business as usual levels, relies heavily on popular solutions such as increased energy efficiency and mandates for solar and wind power.
The recent additions to the scoping plan make it clear that California will adopt a 100% auctions program.
Rather than giving away the right to pollute for free to the state’s largest polluters, CARB will require companies to pay for every ton of pollution emitted. Such a system is called an auction. By auctioning 100% of California’s pollution permits, CARB could redirect billions of dollars toward solutions like efficiency, renewable power and a cleaner transportation system. Furthermore, an auction also helps avoid windfall profits.
"Today, California is showing world that it is not only serious about solving global warming but that that we now have a concrete plan to do so,” said Del Chiaro.
Highlights of the plan include a mandate to generate at least 33% of the state’s electricity from renewable resources, mandate for auto manufacturers to make cleaner cars, and incentives to build more solar powered homes and businesses.
Environment California and other proponents of global warming solutions point out that numerous studies have shown that as pollution declines, jobs and economic development increase. This is in large part because energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies generate up to seven times more jobs than fossil fuels.
“We applaud CARB and Governor Schwarzenegger for their unwavering support for global warming solutions and for understanding that protecting the environment and growing our economy are not mutually exclusive goals,” concluded Del Chiaro. “Environment California looks forward to working with CARB and the rest of the Schwarzenegger Administration on implementing this historic global warming solutions plan.”
