Governor Brown cements environmental legacy with California's ambitious new climate laws

(LOS ANGELES — September 8, 2016)  Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today hails California Governor Brown’s signing into law a package of climate bills (SB 32 and AB 197) that commits California to reducing greenhouse gas pollution to at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 while promoting equity and public health benefits. The signing comes within a week of President Obama and China’s President Xi announcing they had formally joined the Paris climate agreement, and less than two weeks after President Obama spoke in Lake Tahoe of the importance of acting on climate change.

“Governor Brown has been a relentless advocate for climate action, and today he has cemented his environmental legacy. Californians and people around the world will benefit from this new set of climate laws, which make California’s long-term climate targets as ambitious as Europe’s.

“As the world’s sixth-largest economy, California has already pulled off what some feared impossible. It’s demonstrated that a low-carbon economy can be a strong economy — that falling greenhouse gas emissions can go hand-in-hand with rising GDP. These new laws will ensure the state’s economy and the environment continue to thrive.

“Because of Governor Brown’s leadership and support from a broad coalition, including legislators on both sides of the aisle, the world sees proof of global momentum on climate action following the Paris climate talks.” 

• Timothy O’Connor, Director of California Climate Initiative and Senior Attorney