West Coast Global Warming Initiative West Coast Governors

West Coast Global Warming Initiative

West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative Oregon, Washington, California n Start: Governors’ Directive, Sep 22, 2003 n Process: Executive Committee, Working Groups n Complete: Staff recommendations, Nov 2004 Report at: http: //www. ef. org/westcoastclimate/ n

West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative Mission To work regionally and within each state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below current levels

World’s Top 10 CO 2 Emitters: West Coast States Sources: UCS, EIA, EPA, CEC, NESCAUM

States are players

West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative § Started in Sept. 2003 by Govs Locke, Kulongoski and Davis. § Schwarzenegger supports.

West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative The Benefits of Acting n n n n Energy dollars stay at home, not exported Hedge against oil and nat gas price spikes Potentially lower energy costs. Clean energy can stimulate economic development Opportunities for leadership in energy tech. Env benefits, esp: water supply, snowpack. Reduce potential of significant health costs.

Directed staff to develop joint policy recommendations on: § Fuel-efficient vehicles for motor pool fleets. § Reduce diesel emissions from trucks and marine vessels. § Remove barriers to development of renewable electricity generation resources and technologies. § Improve efficiency standards of appliances and products. § Develop ghg emission inventories and reporting protocols and collaborate on scientific tools to measure the impact of climate change.

Gov. Schwarzenegger asked for the addition of the issue hydrogen vehicles.

The recommendations from staff included: § Set new targets for improvement in performance in average annual state fleet ghg emissions. § Collaborate on the purchase of hybrid vehicles. § Establish a plan for the deployment of electrification technologies at truck stops in each state on the I-5 corridor, on the outskirts of major urban areas, and on other major interstate routes. § Set goals and implement strategies and incentives to increase retail energy sales from renewable resources by one percent or more annually in each state through 2015.

Staff Recommendations – cont. § Adopt energy efficiency standards for eight to 14 products not regulated by the federal government, establishing a cost-effective efficiency threshold for all products sold on the West Coast. § Incorporate aggressive energy efficiency measures into updates of state building energy codes, with a goal of achieving at least 15 percent cumulative savings by 2015 in each state. § Organize a West Coast Governors’ conference in 2005 to inform policy makers and the public of climate change research concerning the West Coast states.

The staff also recommended that the Governors should give consideration to four additional actions: § Adopt comprehensive state and regional goals for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. § Adopt standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. § Develop a regional market-based carbon allowance program. § Expand the markets for efficiency, renewable energy, and alternative fuels.

Defining “Planning for Climate Change” § Planning for climate change involves developing the capacity to effectively manage the impacts of climate variability and change (i. e. , developing adaptive capacity). § Planning strives to minimize the negative impacts associated with projected climate change (e. g. , increased winter flooding) while maximizing the positive impacts (e. g. , increased storage capacity) Courtesy UW Climate Group, Palmer-Whitely

What is the Role of Local Govt in Planning for Climate Change? n Climate change is a global scale issue, but the impacts are local. Many local resource-based planning activities potentially affected by climate change n Local govts have significant impact on long-term community development and hazard mitigation; can influence degree of vulnerability to impacts n Policy innovation most often occurs at the state and local level. Planning allows for innovation rather than waiting for prescriptive fixes.

Examples of Planning Opportunities: Water Quantity Allocations. n Watershed Planning. n Land Use Planning – Flood Zones and Shorelines. n Transportation Planning. n

Monday, August 15, 2005 New sea wall may fall short as water rises, report says Global warming and rising water levels could force Seattle to build its new Elliott Bay sea wall higher than expected. Could its cost also exceed the current $500 million estimate? A Seattle Transportation Department official said probably not, but a city auditor's report released last week raises the question. It suggests that a new sea wall might have to be built higher to accommodate rising sea levels and coastal flooding caused by climate change. "Design standards for the Alaskan Way sea wall replacement appropriately recognize that sea level will increase during the 21 st century, " the report said. "However, sea-level projections from the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group suggest that the city's current design standards for the new sea wall may not adequately account for the potential projected rise in sea level. “ A city consultant said the design of the replacement for the 1. 9 -mile wall "should accommodate a 0. 9 -foot rise in sea level over a 75 -year period, " while the UW group estimated the rise would be 1 foot to 2. 8 feet.

Next Steps § Two Scientific Conferences: Ø September 14 -16 in Sacramento à For more info: www. climatechange. ca. gov/events/2005_conference/index. html Ø October 27 in Seattle. àFor more info: www. metrokc. gov/climateconference 2005 § Focus on science of climate change and how policy decisions should incorporate scientific findings.