The passage of California’s landmark AB 32 and SB 375 legislation has created great excitement across California, the nation, and internationally. The prospect that California’s world-leading economy will develop a new trajectory of sustained prosperity – while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% in just four decades – has inspired other states to set bold targets of their own.
California’s leadership in climate policy is also driving an entrepreneurial renaissance in the clean tech marketplace, helping attract billions of dollars in new investment and creating thousands of green collar jobs.
However, as California nears the fourth anniversary of passage of AB 32, its economic and environmental impacts are under increased scrutiny. Going forward, climate action planners will be called upon to make a more compelling case that the AB 32 framework can deliver substantial emissions reductions with economic and other co-benefits.
Unfortunately, few of California’s metro areas are well-positioned to demonstrate a clear strategic pathway to the GHG reductions called for by AB 32 – or to provide a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of the low-carbon transition. Specifically, many local practitioners are concerned that the bold AB 32 Scoping Plan, prepared by the California Air Resources board (CARB) and other state agencies, is not yet integrated with evolving local and regional initiatives.
