California Policy

California has long led the nation and the world in groundbreaking environmental solutions that also provide economic benefits. In recent years the state has also seized new opportunities to protect its people and economy from the dangerous effects of global warming.

In 2006, California passed two groundbreaking laws to reduce California's emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollution. The California Global Warming Solutions Act, Assembly Bill 32, makes California the first state in the country to limit statewide global warming pollution. The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance Standard Act, Senate Bill 1368, makes California the first state in the nation to ensure that electric utilities' new commitments to power plants meet a minimum performance level for global warming pollution.

In 2007 California joined with other western states to create the Western Climate Initiative to create a regional market-based approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Previously, California broke international ground with its Clean Cars Law, Assembly Bill 1493, which passed in 2002, requiring automakers to reduce global warming emissions from their vehicles beginning in 2009.

These actions continue California's tradition of leadership in reducing air pollution, increasing energy efficiency and investing in clean, renewable energy.