On May 19, 2015, British Columbia (BC) joined a new sub-national climate change initiative known as Under 2 MOU. The Under 2 MOU brings together states and regions willing to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and will galvanize action at the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris this December. The founding signatories, who were present at the May 19 signing ceremony in Sacramento, California, include the following:
• Acre, Brazil
• Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Baja California, Mexico
• British Columbia, Canada
• California, USA
• Catalonia, Spain
• Jalisco, Mexico
• Ontario, Canada
• Oregon, USA
• Vermont, USA
• Wales, UK
• Washington, USA
The Subnational Global Climate Leadership MOU is nicknamed “Under 2 MOU” in reference to (i) the goal of limiting warming to below 2°c, and (ii) the MOU’s shared goal of limiting greenhouse gas emissions to 2 tons per capita, or 80-95% below 1990 level by 2050. By joining the Under 2 MOU initiative, signatories also commit to establishing midterm targets, increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy, coordinating on a number of issues from transportation to short-lived climate pollutants, and working towards consistent monitoring, reporting, and verification of their emissions. All signatories will submit an appendix to the MOU that will outline their unique set of actions and plans to reach their goals.
The Under 2 MOU originated from a partnership between California and Baden-Württemberg out of the desire to bring together ambitious states and regions willing to make a number of key commitments towards emissions reduction and to help galvanize action at COP 21. Jurisdictions are invited to sign the MOU up to COP 21 in December. Interested jurisdictions are asked to submit a letter expressing their intent to sign on to the MOU and to complete an appendix that outlines the unique set of actions that are in place or planned to reach their emissions reduction targets.
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 50 to 80% of the mitigation and adaptation actions necessary to tackle climate change will be implemented at the subnational or local levels of governance. Subnational governments are particularly well placed to address climate change for a number of reasons, including:
• They are often responsible for the development and implementation of policies that have the most impact on climate change, including in the following areas: air quality; transportation; energy and energy efficiency; the built environment; natural lands; technology innovation, development, and transfer; and others that have direct implications for greenhouse gas emissions levels.
• Sub-national governments often serve as the laboratories for policy innovations which are then adopted at the national and even international level.
• Sub-national governments provide the critical link in the vertical integration of climate policies between national and local governments.
Tag: reduce greenhouse gas emissions
BC and Washington State sign Cross-Border Climate Action Plans
The province of British Columbia (BC) and the state of Washington have signed two climate action plans to strengthen cross-border efforts to reduce carbon emissions while advancing the low-carbon economy.
The province of British Columbia (BC) and the state of Washington have signed two climate action plans to strengthen cross-border efforts to reduce carbon emissions while advancing the low-carbon economy.
On February 2, 2011, BC Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap and Washington Department of Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant signed plans on limiting carbon emissions from government operations and promoting awareness of the impacts of sea level rise on coastal areas.
Under the climate action plans, entitled “Joint Action Plan on Carbon Neutral Government” and “Joint Action Plan on Awareness and Outreach for Coastal Impacts of Climate Change”, BC and Washington will:
- demonstrate how to make government operations as carbon-neutral as possible, sharing information and drawing on BC’s success in achieving a carbon-neutral public sector.
- further strengthen engagement with British Columbians and Washingtonians about how sea level rise threatens critical shore areas and communities.
- BC and Washington State have been working together on climate issues since signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Climate Action in 2007. These new action plans build on existing climate-related partnerships between BC and Washington, including:
- Pacific Coast Collaborative – representing joint efforts by BC, Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska on energy, transportation, climate change, and ocean issues.
- Washington-British Columbia Memorandum of Understanding on Coastal Climate Change Adaptation – holding joint science workshops, exchanging information on sea-level rise projections and mapping, sharing information on Green Shores programs, and Washington and B.C. “king tide” photo initiatives.
- Salish Sea Ecosystem/Puget Sound-Georgia Basin Ecosystem Research Conference – the largest, most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference that focuses on issues impacting the region known as the Salish Sea. BC and Washington take turns hosting the biennial conference.
In addition, BC and Washington state are active participants in the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in seven U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.
The action plans can be viewed online.