Gov. Brown Signs Historic Climate Package
LOS ANGELES , CA – California Governor Jerry Brown today signed historic legislation to establish North America’s most aggressive emissions reduction targets, requiring California—the world’s sixth-largest economy—to reduce carbon pollution to at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued the following statement:
“California is showing our nation and world what can, and must, be done to reduce the dangerous pollution fueling climate change.
“Strong climate action is imperative to prevent the worst impacts of a warming planet. California is already feeling the heat with a statewide drought, dirty air, terrifying wildfires, and scarce drinking water in some of the state’s most vulnerable communities.
“These cutting-edge laws will help curb pollution while ensuring that communities across California reap the benefits of clean energy. This is a momentous day for California and the planet.”
Despite strong opposition from Big Oil, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 32 (“California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: emissions limit” by Senator Fran Pavley) to extend the state’s groundbreaking climate law beyond 2020 and Assembly Bill 197 (“State Air Resources Board: greenhouse gases: regulations” by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia) with bipartisan votes on Aug. 24 and sent the package to the governor for his signature.
RESOURCES
- NRDC statement after Aug. 24, 2016. passage: California Passes Historic Climate Package
- What Just Happened? California Passes Major Climate Bills by Victoria Rome, Aug. 25, 2016
- Historic Climate Package One Step Away by Alex Jackson, Aug. 23, 2016
- Fact-Checking the Oil Industry's Claims on AB 197 and SB 32 by Simon Mui, Aug. 23, 2016
- California: Pulling Together for Climate Action Now by Annie Notthoff, Aug. 19, 2016
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.