SCB urges California to protect ecosystems in climate program
SCB today submitted comments on California’s proposed regulations for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and market-based compliance mechanisms (“cap and trade”). These are among the first such regulations in the United States, following similar regulations enacted by the European Union. SCB’s letter communicates the importance of achieving the most rapid reduction possible in human-caused greenhouse gases and other forcing agents, such as black carbon or soot, and combined with measures for ecosystem conservation and restoration. Nothing short of this combination will be likely to avoid accelerating losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services due to climate change. The second point we make in the letter is that California’s mitigation efforts should not rely upon carbon offsets when other approaches are available. In the US system, states have a great array of regulatory tools available under the Constitution, and California is the prime example of a state that uses this capacity to lead in the process, even when the Federal government lags, e.g., in controlling air pollution.
The full letter is here.
