California represents at U.N. Climate Conference

As top officials from California meet with delegates in Indonesia this week at the annual United Nations Climate Conference, they’re as much sending a message about our state’s aggressive environmental initiatives as they are highlighting the inadequacy of the U.S. federal government and how much we need to tap into the knowledge of the rest of the world.

“We have a lot to learn from other countries,” said Linda Adams, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, during a media briefing. Adams traveled to Bali along with representatives from the California Resources Agency and California Air Resources Board.

Although California set high standards with the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), officials are still figuring out how to implement its goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions 25 percent by the year 2020. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 32 into law in 2006 and CARB has until December of next year to identify regulations to meet the goals, which must be in place by 2012.

California officials are using the U.N. conference to look at best practices elsewhere, primarily in terms of renewable fuel and energy policies in Europe, Asia and Latin America. This week, state officials joined members of the International Carbon Action Partnership to learn about carbon-trading systems working in other countries. The California delegation is also hoping its presence will accelerate federal legislation back home and confirm to the international community that the United States will eventually stop ignoring its role in the fight against global warming.

“The rest of the world needs to be reassured that there will be movement in the United States,” said CARB chairwoman Mary Nichols.

Leadership at the regional government level may be what it takes to propel worldwide efforts to address the climate crisis and force action by federal governments, including our own.

“I’d like to restate the obvious,” Adams said. “This is a global problem that needs a global solution.”

As the thousands of delegates from more than 190 countries continue to discuss post-Kyoto Protocol plans for curbing greenhouse-gas emissions, they’re also focusing on adaptation: Just how are we going to prepare for a warming climate?