07/18/2008 GAAS:543:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | Email / Share
Gov. Schwarzenegger Welcomes Ontario into Western Climate Initiative
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following
statement today on accepting Ontario, Canada into the Western Climate
Initiative:
"Like California,
Ontario is
leading the way in recognizing that we must take action now to fight global
warming and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. Instead of waiting for our
federal governments to act, our states and provinces are working together to
find solutions that both protect the environment and grow our economy. Working
with our partners, California can achieve nearly double the
reductions in global warming pollution than if we go at the problem alone.
Ontario is
doing some great things to combat global warming, and I welcome them into the
WCI."
On May 30, 2007 during the Canadian trade mission, Gov.
Schwarzenegger joined with Premier McGuinty to sign an agreement to
collaborate on climate action. Ontario agreed to adopt
California's
Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.
In February 2007, the governors of Arizona, California,
New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington created the WCI. In August 2007, WCI
Partners established their regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal - 15
percent below 2005 levels. The regional goal reflects the combined impact of
emissions reduction goals set by each WCI Partner. It does not replace partners'
individual goals.
Since the WCI first formed, the states of Utah and Montana and the
Canadian provinces of British Columbia,
Manitoba and Quebec have joined. Observers of WCI's work
include the states of Alaska, Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas, Nevada, and Wyoming, the
Canadian province of Saskatchewan, and the Mexican border states of Baja
California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, and
Tamaulipas.
More information on the Western Climate Initiative can
by found at http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org.
