Climate Change Strategies
Maintaining California’s Global Competitiveness while Implementing Climate Change Policies
The Issue/Challenge
California’s climate change policies are well ahead of other states and nations as California seeks to significantly reduce the state’s GHG emissions and its contribution to global climate change. California’s leadership started with the adoption of AB 32 in 2006, followed by the adoption of numerous companion legislative and regulatory policies. Each of these major programs come with added cost and regulation. However, proponents of California’s climate change policies argue that, if done right, any new costs will be offset by the economic and job creation benefits of a new “green” economy. Meanwhile, some economists and business leaders express concern that California’s climate policies are unnecessarily increasing the cost and regulatory burden of doing business in California. Their contention is that climate change is a global problem and, thus, that California needs to be part of a global solution, and anything less leaves California businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
The Southern California Leadership Council’s Position
The Southern California Leadership Council supports the state’s goal of maintaining and advancing its position as a global leader in GHG reduction, provided the myriad of regulations and policies applied to achieve this objective are implemented in ways that are feasible and balanced, and that work effectively for business, industry and consumers so as to assure California competitiveness, and to enhance economic development and job creation – including green jobs and traditional blue collar jobs.
The Leadership Council supports the idea that even if California achieves its GHG goals, the challenge of global warming will not be fully addressed and a level economic playing field in domestic and international markets will not fully exist, unless the remainder of the world does the same. California’s greatest contribution to addressing this issue should be to show the rest of the world how GHG emissions can be reduced smartly, cost-effectively, and in a manner which retains or improves a state’s or country’s global economic position. This has the best potential to create “smart followers” of California’s GHG efforts and thus a global solution to climate change.