ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

October 2006

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California Adopts Legislation Creating First-in-Nation State Regulatory Program For Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions

On August 31, 2006, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32)—the “California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006”—a bill that is expected to make California the first state in the nation to adopt a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions. The bill lays the foundation for adoption of a sweeping regulatory program to require reductions in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels—roughly a 25-30 percent reduction—by 2020. The bill is expected to result in the creation of a statewide market-based “cap-and-trade” program to accomplish the reduction. Governor Schwarzenegger has announced he intends to sign the bill, stating that “[w]e can now move forward with developing a market-based system that makes California a world leader in the effort to reduce carbon emissions.”