Western Climate Initiative provides much-needed leadership on capping climate pollution in U.S.
The Western Climate Initiative (WCI) today unveiled their final design for a regional cap and trade program to spur reductions in pollution that cause global warming. The regional agreement between seven Western states and four Canadian provinces was praised by Environment California along with other environmental groups as a significant advancement in the establishment of science-based action on global warming. The plan includes a cap on stationary pollution sources such as power plants and refineries as well as the transportation sector making it the largest reductions plan in the world.
“The Western states have a lot to lose from global warming so it makes sense that the West would act big when it comes to solutions,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro with Environment California “Committing to a plan to limit global warming pollution will help move the West and the country as a whole away from our over-dependence on fossil fuels and spur the transition to a clean energy economy.”
The WCI was established in 2007 by the governors of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and New Mexico. Since then the states of Utah and Montana and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec have joined.
“In the absence of leadership from Washington, Governor Schwarzenegger and the other Western governors deserve tremendous credit for recognizing the urgency of the issue and working together to put solutions in place,” concluded Del Chiaro. “We hope this leadership will set an example for others, including our leaders in the nation’s capitol, to follow immediately with strong science-based action.”
Environmental groups were quick to point out much work remains in the months and years ahead as officials hammer out details of the regional and state-specific programs designed to reduce global warming pollution and shift to clean energy solutions. Environmental groups are focused on a range of important details including whether pollution allowances are given to polluters for free, or whether they are auctioned off with the revenues spent in the public interest.
“The smartest, cheapest way to tackle global warming is to make companies pay for every ton of pollution and use the revenue to ease the transition to a clean energy economy,” said Del Chiaro. “This will prevent windfall profits, save consumers money and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. We look forward to working with California officials to set up a 100% auction right away.”
The WCI stakeholders will continue to refine the design elements of the regional program through November of this year. Over the next several years, decision-makers in each of the states will need to work out their plans for implementing the program, which is scheduled to take effect in 2012. California’s final scoping plan proposal is expected to come out on October 3, 2008.
