[Nate Martin]

The Governor has signed AB 32 today, as expected. The Governor said on signing the bill:

"Some have challenged whether AB 32 is good for businesses. I say unquestionably it is good for businesses. Not only large, well-established businesses, but small businesses that will harness their entrepreneurial spirit to help us achieve our climate goals.


"Using market-based incentives, we will reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. That's a 25 percent reduction. And by 2050, we will reduce emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels. We simply must do everything in our power to slow down global warming before it's too late."



Specifically, AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires CARB to:

Establish a statewide greenhouse gas emissions cap for 2020, based on 1990 emissions by January 1, 2008.
Adopt mandatory reporting rules for significant sources of greenhouse gases by January 1, 2009.
Adopt a plan by January 1, 2009 indicating how emission reductions will be achieved from significant greenhouse gas sources via regulations, market mechanisms and other actions.
Adopt regulations by January 1, 2011 to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas, including provisions for using both market mechanisms and alternative compliance mechanisms.
Convene an Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and an Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee to advise CARB.
Ensure public notice and opportunity for comment for all CARB actions.
Prior to imposing any mandates or authorizing market mechanisms, CARB must evaluate several factors, including but not limited to impacts on California's economy, the environment and public health; equity between regulated entities; electricity reliability, conformance with other environmental laws and ensure that the rules do not disproportionately impact low-income communities.

[Pauline]

It will be interesting, and maybe revealing, to compare this bill to Canadian legislation which is due to be tabled next week. I will post the details when they are available.

[horselover]

As far as I'm concerned, it's all talk and no action until we see them actually doing something and showing some results.

[shadowbot]

Yeah it sounds great in writing but so did the California bill of mandating that by 2003 10% of all cars sold had to be zero emissions (go watch who killed the electric car if you dont know what im talking about, you can find the full movie here on the forums.) But that bill got killed by businesses. Lets just keep our fingers crossed.

[horselover]

Yeah everything always looks good in writing, it's getting the results that would look even better.