posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:05 PM by Andrea Kells

Western Climate Initiative Seeks 15 Percent Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Achieving one of the goals set for itself at its inception, the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) has pledged to reduce aggregate regional greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.   

Initially composed of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and California, the WCI was established in February 2007 with the goal of collaborating on climate action initiatives across the Western U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Since that time, Utah and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba have joined.  Several other states and provinces have signed on as "observers" to the WCI, including Sonora, Mexico; Wyoming; Colorado; Kansas; Nevada; and Ontario and Quebec, Canada. 

According to the Statement of Regional Goal that WCI issued last week, the regional 15 percent goal reflects the cumulative emission reduction goals of the "partner" states and provinces, and does not replace those partners' existing reduction goals, some of which — such as California's — are more aggressive than the WCI goal.   

The regional plan calls for each WCI partner to update the others on its emissions inventories every two years.  It also details the criteria for new partners to join the group, which turn on whether the new entrant is undertaking efforts comparable to the current partners' to address climate change.