Look below for current WCI news and updates.For older news and updates item, and the archive of announcements distributed via the WCI mailing list, follow the links to the left.
On November 24, 2009 California released a preliminary draft regulation (PDR) that conveys, at a conceptual level, how a broad-based multi-sector cap-and-trade program will work with complementary measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the 2020 statewide emissions limit as required under California law (AB 32). The PDR is consistent with the September 2008 WCI program design recommendations, and describes the mechanism for linking to the cap and trade programs implemented by the WCI Partner jurisdictions.
On December 15, 2009, Premier Greg Selinger committed the provincial government to moving forward with legislation enabling the creation of a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Manitoba. He said the system will be subject to public consultations in 2010.
"Manitoba is playing a constructive role in focusing on commitments, goals and targets that we and other leading sub-national governments can take," Selinger said. "Market mechanisms like cap-and-trade will play a large role in the global effort to address climate change in a cost-effective manner. Cap-and-trade legislation will complement Manitoba's participation in regional climate-change strategies like the Western Climate Initiative and Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord." For more information, click here.
On December 29, 2009 Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, announced that Québec's regulation to adopt California greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks will come into force in mid-January, 2010, making Québec the first Canadian province to apply North America's strictest standards. At approximately 40% of total emissions, transportation is the largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions in Québec. For more information, click here.
Several WCI Partner jurisdictions are participating on a team convened by the U.S. EPA to develop data exchange mechanisms between facilities, the EPA, and the states. The team includes Canadian observers and is intended to help harmonize the implementation of state and federal greenhouse gas emission reporting requirements. Similarly, the WCI provinces are working with Environment Canada on the data infrastructure required for mandatory reporting in the provinces.
Materials from the January 20 Partner meeting and the January 21 Electricity Collaborative in Phoenix, Arizona, are available. The first half of the Partners meeting focused on the 2010 work plan for the WCI and the several technical and policy products expected in the coming months. Check the Partner meeting document folder and the Electricity Team document folder to access presentations and other documents.
Voluntary purchases of renewable energy products have played an important role in expanding the renewable energy market in many WCI jurisdictions. The Electricity Team has examined how the voluntary renewable energy (VRE) market may be affected by the implementation of a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, and has released a Voluntary Renewable Energy (VRE) Issues and Draft Recommendations paper for stakeholder comment. This paper focuses on the key design elements of VRE set asides and provides recommendations to those WCI Partner jurisdictions that choose to implement a VRE set aside. Elements that are important to harmonize are highlighted. Stakeholders are invited to provide written comments on the draft recommendations through February 19th. To download a copy of the recommendations and submit comments, follow this link.
WCI Partner jurisdictions are currently in the process of
adopting rules to implement the WCI’s final Essential Requirements for
Mandatory Reporting (ERs), which were issued on July 16, 2009. On September 22,
2009, U.S. EPA adopted its final Mandatory Reporting Rule (MRR) for greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions. Both programs require the filing of initial reports in
2011 for the 2010 reporting year. Many U.S. facilities in the WCI region will
be subject to both reporting programs.
State and Provincial representatives of the three regional
GHG initiatives met for the second time on November 9 in Washington, D.C. to
continue sharing information on the status of their initiatives. Representatives of the Western Climate
Initiative, Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, and the Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative discussed plans to collaborate in three specific
areas - offsets, complementary policies, and identifying issues that would have
to be addressed if the regions were to link their programs.
News & Updates
