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California Approves Plan to Implement Climate Change Law, Sets Precedent for National, International Action

Posted on: Thursday, 11 December 2008, 15:53 CST

Historic Vote Occurs as World Leaders Negotiate International Climate Deal

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California regulators today unanimously approved a plan to implement a law requiring the state to dramatically cut its global warming pollution, setting a precedent for national and international action, according to a law cosponsor. The law cosponsor, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), praised the California Air Resources Board for its historic vote to approve its Scoping Plan to implement The Global Warming Solutions Act.

The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) is the first statewide effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions. It sets a firm cap requiring the state to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020 (about 30 percent below business as usual).

"As world leaders meet in Poland to negotiate an international climate deal, California regulators today set an international and national standard for how to meet aggressive targets to cut global warming pollution that will create a high-wage, clean high-tech economy," said Derek Walker, director of EDF's California Climate Initiative, who just returned from attending the United Nations' climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland that ends tomorrow.

Seven Western states (Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Utah) and four Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario) have followed California's lead by pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of a Western Climate Initiative (http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/).

"California already leads the nation in clean tech investment," said Dr. James Fine, EDF economist and policy scientist. "The Air Resources Board's approval of its plan to implement The Global Warming Solutions Act will reinforce this trend. Our state is well-positioned to make enacting this law an opportunity, both economically and environmentally, rather than a burden, as some naysayers suggest. By approving the action plan, ARB is acknowledging definitively that the most expensive option for California is inaction in fighting global warming."

EDF released a report on Monday showing that implementing AB 32 is likely to increase employment in several sectors of the state's economy, as well as associated supply chains, including biomass-based fuels, building and transportation infrastructure construction, clean technologies, environmental engineering, consumer products, information technologies, transportation and logistics, waste management, and water purification and conservation.

"California's businesses and consumers can reap substantial economic benefits from implementing The Global Warming Solutions Act and lead the world in pioneering a green, low carbon economy that sustains our future," said David Festa, vice president of EDF's West Coast Region and a former director of Policy and Strategic Planning at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

About Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members nationwide and 100,000 in California. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

Contacts: Jennifer Witherspoon, 415.378.1985-c, jwitherspoon@edf.org Lori Sinsley, 415.308.6970-c, lsinsley@edf.org

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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