Final AB 32 Scoping Plan Contains Key Improvements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact
Derek Walker, (410) 980-0939-c, dbwalker@edf.org
Jesus Mena, (415) 948-4220-c, jemena@edf.org  
 
(Sunnyvale, CA – October 14, 2008) The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) revised final scoping plan for implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) contains important improvements from the original plan, according to Environmental Defense Fund. The final plan incorporates feedback received from a diverse group of stakeholders since the first draft was released in June. CARB is scheduled to vote on the final plan during their December 10-11 board meeting in Sacramento.
 
“California’s leadership on global warming will usher in a new wave of entrepreneurial innovation and be the economic engine that will drive greater prosperity in the state,” said Derek Walker, director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund, which cosponsored AB 32. “The final scoping plan lays the groundwork for California’s transformation to a low-carbon economy through robust policies and an increased emphasis on green job creation and green job training.”
 
The final plan recommends several new actions that will put California on a path to reduce our emissions by 30% by 2020, as required by AB 32. Important new measures include: reducing leakage of harmful air conditioning and refrigeration gases, expanding commercial recycling programs, and establishing greenhouse gas reduction targets for local governments. The plan reinforces the vital role of energy efficiency, the development of cleaner fuels, and the swift transition to renewable power, features that will save businesses and consumers money, create jobs, and unleash innovations in clean technology, according to Walker.
 
CARB has also put increased focus on the importance of placing workers into green jobs, a category estimated to grow by more than 100,000 new jobs by 2020. Last month, Environmental Defense Fund released a Green Jobs Guidebook for California, which identifies and profiles hundreds of high paying jobs available to low and middle income workers throughout the state. 
 
“The final AB32 scoping plan recognizes that training workers and connecting them to available positions will be key to creating a thriving green economy,” added Walker.
 
The final scoping plan appears at a pivotal moment for California, the nation and the world. Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced he will convene a Global Climate Summit in California in November, and global warming has been a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign.
 
“The era of inertia and inaction is over,” said Walker. “AB 32 has already prompted several other U.S. states to put mandatory caps on global warming pollution. Now California’s robust scoping plan can be a model and a catalyst for national action.”
 
The promise of a clean energy economy is also very appealing to the residents of California. A recent poll commissioned by the non-partisan nonprofit research organization Next 10 and conducted by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin & Associates shows nearly three out of four voters (73 percent) support state energy policies to reduce global warming pollution. Despite the weak economy, nearly six out of 10 voters (58 percent) support these energy policies even if they result in higher prices.
 
Although the final scoping plan is scheduled for approval in December, major decisions will still need to be made about how different policies are designed. Walker pointed to several areas where substantial work remains, particularly in the design of a robust and effective cap-and-trade program and the enactment of proven land use and transportation policies, including indirect source rules and congestion pricing.
 
“As Americans get set to elect a new President, global warming is at the top of the national agenda,” concluded Walker. “Implementing AB 32 successfully is critical to getting strong national climate policy enacted.”
 
 
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