California

Aliso Canyon comment letter

Mike Mastrandrea, Emily Grubert, Aaron Strong, and I just submitted a comment letter to CARB regarding its use of 20-year GWPs as discussed in the post below.

Whether CARB continues to use 20-year GWPs in the final methane leak mitigation plan, does so in the final short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) reduction strategy, or simply has to reconcile different GWP time horizons in its 2030 scoping plan, these technical issues we identify are likely to become more important in the coming months. I look forward to working with CARB and other interested stakeholders to make that policy decisions are informed by the best available science. 

Thanks to Barbara Haya, who provided some helpful pointers to the use of GWPs in California's compliance-grade carbon offset protocols. 

California's (new) climate target

California's (new) climate target

The climate policy community is abuzz with talk of California's new climate target. Earlier this week, Governor Jerry Brown issued Executive Order B-30-15, which sets an “interim” climate target—reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. But while the climate policy world can always use a reason to celebrate, there's a long road ahead before this target translates into meaningful policy action. 

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