California Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order on Wednesday to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030, a move he said was necessary to combat the growing threat of climate change.
The targeted reduction was tied to 1990 levels and is "the most aggressive benchmark enacted by any government in North America to reduce dangerous carbon emissions," Brown said in a statement.
California operates the nation's largest carbon cap and trade system. The state sets an overall limit on carbon emissions and allows businesses to hand in tradeable permits to meet their obligations.
Achieving the new target will require reductions from sectors including industry, agriculture, energy and state and local governments, Brown said.
Brown said the new target will position California as a leader in combating climate change in the United States and internationally.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the news and encouraged other states and cities around the world to also take action, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said.
The plan for how California will achieve the 2030 target will be hammered out over the next year by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), which oversees the cap-and-trade program.
PHOTO: California Governor Jerry Brown looks on during a news conference at the State Capitol in Sacramento, California March 19, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/MAX WHITTAKER.
|