California Signs Historic Climate Change Pact

—By Bay City News Service

Gov. Jerry Brown along with the governors of Washington and Oregon and officials from British Columbia signed a pact to battle climate change and promote clean energy in San Francisco Monday, according to the governor's office. 

The pact is intended to coordinate efforts by the jurisdictions spanning the North American West Coast, including by harmonizing their 2050 targets for greenhouse gas reduction, expanding the use of zero-emission vehicles, taking steps to combat ocean acidification and deploying high-speed rail across the region. 

"This action plan is intended to spur finding new, smart ways for our governments, agencies and staff to work together," according to the pact, signed by Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, and British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, who joined the meeting by teleconference. 

The three governors met at the offices of Cisco-Meraki at 500 Terry A. Francois Blvd., in Mission Bay. 

California Traget Goals
As part of the agreement, California has agreed to long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets, maintain its current cap-and-trade system, and endeavor to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles to account for 10 percent of new public and private vehicle purchases by 2016. 

California will also continue to invest in infrastructure such as high-speed rail and coordinate with the other states in the region to build low-emission transportation options, attract private capital for low-emission infrastructure projects and urge the international community to tighten greenhouse gas emissions and take action against ocean acidification. 

While the plan is not legally binding, the leaders hope that it will "add value, efficiency and effectiveness to existing and future initiatives, and to reduce overlap and duplication of effort." 

"California isn't waiting for the rest of the world before it takes action on climate change," Brown said. "Today, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are all joining together to reduce greenhouse gases." 

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