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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released, Climate Change Scoping Plan, outlining how it will meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32). The plan preserves the environmental impact that individuals and businesses can make through voluntary purchases of renewable energy.
The landmark scoping plan, approved by the board on December 11, 2008, outlines in broad strokes how the state plans to meet its goal of reducing GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. One chief mechanism is a cap-and-trade system, in which GHG emissions are limited in certain sectors, and that limit is gradually reduced over time until the goal is met. The final plan states that voluntary renewable energy purchasers will have the power to reduce the level of the cap, thus reducing the overall amount of GHG allowed to enter the atmosphere from the electricity sector. Rulemaking for the specific provisions under the plan will begin in 2009, with the cap-and-trade system beginning in 2012.
News Release - ARB says yes to climate action plan
News Release - California’s Approved AB32 Scoping Plan Retains Value of the Voluntary Renewable Energy Market
Additional Information - AB 32 Climate Change Proposed Scoping Plan Document
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