09/29/2007: "Wa Joins Other States To Reduce Gas"

In February of this year, the governors of Washington, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon created the WCI (Western Climate Initiative) with a long-term commitment to significantly reduce regional GHG (greenhouse gas emissions), thus lowering the risk of dangerous threats to the climate.

Gov. Chris Gregoire said, "In the absence of federal leadership, states and provinces have stepped up to meet the challenge of global climate change. We are working together to agree on common goals that will reduce our region's contribution to the problem while recognizing the states' individual goals. In Washington, we are committed to meeting the challenge and seizing the opportunities presented by climate change."

The eight members of the WCI have announced that they have established a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas GHG emissions in the West to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Some science studies have suggested that this will require worldwide reductions between 50 and 85 percent in carbon dioxide emissions from current levels by the year 2050.

As part of this commitment, WCI members agreed to establish a Western regional GHG reduction goal by the end of August 2007. They also agreed to design a multi-sector market-based mechanism, such as a load-based cap-and-trade program, by the end of August 2008 to help reach the goal. Each member will also participate in a multi-state GHG emissions registry.

Since February, the state of Utah and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba have also joined the WCI. All eight states and provinces jointly agreed upon the economy-wide regional goal; and Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Wyoming, and Canadian provinces Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and the Mexican state of Sonora, are participating as observers to the WCI's deliberations; they may seek to join the WCI as full members.

The regional goal combines the individual GHG emissions goals that each WCI member already has set. It does not replace the members' individual goals. The WCI members will use the regional goal in the design of the multi-sector market-based mechanism.

Also, other U.S. states, tribes, Canadian provinces and Mexican states that want to join the WCI must have an economy-wide greenhouse gas reduction goal that is consistent with the regional goal, in addition to other factors.

More information about the WCI, including the regional goal and how it was calculated, is available on the WCI's website at http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/ .