California sets sights on 30 per cent cut in emissions

California yesterday sought to cement its position as a global leader in the fight against climate change with the publication one of the world's most ambitious greenhouse gas strategies.

Under the proposals, which are detailed in a Draft Scoping Plan now subject to consultation, California will set itself a target of cutting carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2020.

In contrast, the EU's current climate change plan, which has been widely praised as one of the most comprehensive such strategies in the world, aims to cut emissions by 20 per cent by the same date.

"With the release of this draft scoping plan, California is once again blazing a trail to lead other states and the nation to address climate change," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the Air Resources Board, which is responsible for the new strategy. "This draft plan is the roadmap to move us quickly to a cleaner, more sustainable future, energy independence and a healthier environment."

The draft plan was required under the state's Global Warming Solutions Act, which was passed in 2006, and therefore it is likely the bulk of the measures will be approved.

Central to the new strategy is the formation of a regional cap-and-trade scheme that would incorporate seven states and three Canadian provinces under the auspices of the Western Climate Initiative. The draft document sets out no formal decision on the extent to which permits will be auctioned, but confirms that the scheme would cover 85 per cent of California's emissions.

The draft plan also proposes that utilities generate a third of their energy from renewable sources and outlines plans for a significant extension of existing energy efficiency programmes.

In addition, the strategy calls for an expansion in the use of rooftop solar panels, the development of a high-speed rail network across the state, the introduction of new water-related energy efficiency measures and a package of new regulations to cut emissions from haulage and ports.

The strategy also underlines California's continued appetite for a fight with the federal government over its blocking of stringent new vehicle emissions standards, calling for the proposed clean car standards to be adopted.

Speaking to the New York Times, Nichols admitted that the strategy had not assessed the financial impact of the proposals on individual industries, but said that a "macroeconomic assessment" had shown that overall savings from improved efficiency and the development of alternative energy sources should result in a contribution to the state's GDP of one per cent.

Speaking at a climate change conference in Florida earlier this week, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reiterated calls for the federal government to " get on board" with the state's approach to cutting emissions.

He added that it was "shameful" that the US generates just two per cent of its energy from renewable sources while California generates 12 per cent, and warned that it was in danger of losing ground to countries such as Germany, Denmark and Brazil in the development of clean technologies. "I want America to be No. 1," he said. "America can and should do better."