California unveils plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045 as scientists warn of runaway climate change
California unveiled on Wednesday its plan to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and the impacts of climate change to the least possible. The state’s clean energy and clean skies plan will become law in January.
“This plan will create a new and clean energy economy in California with the most advanced energy efficiency technologies and investment and policy tools to continue lowering emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change from clean energy and energy efficiency,” said California’s Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Governor’s Office said the plan is the most ambitious effort to date to address climate change.
“I want Californians to know that together we are making a difference on climate change,” he said.
The state’s emissions will continue to grow, but the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would decrease with the increased use of renewable energy sources, the Governor’s Office said. California must increase its renewable energy production to meet its emission reduction goal set by the federal government.
California has already set a target of 33% renewable energy by 2020 and 40% by 2050, but the Governor’s officials made a bold call Wednesday for the state to move past traditional energy sources and develop a more ambitious set of energy technologies to reduce emissions.
California has three climate change initiatives, outlined in the Executive Order: to reduce carbon emissions 1% below 2005 levels; to meet the state’s clean power standard by 2020; and to cut emissions by 60% compared to 1990 levels by 2050.
In the plan, California is proposing to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, industry and buildings and agriculture under the Clean Power Act and the California Global Warming Solutions Act.
The California Energy Commission will decide what kind of energy projects qualify, and the Public Utilities Commission will approve the projects.
The plan includes:
California’s three climate change initiatives:
Increasing the amount of energy California consumes with cleaner, more efficient technologies by 2035, 80% by 2050
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and buildings by 60% by 2050
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
