AGRION

TO VIEW THE SPEAKER BIOS CLICK HERE

California, the global clean tech leader, is also becoming the international leader in the battle to mitigate climate change.  However, many impediments remain.  Can California's Cap and Trade program prevail and provoke other states, regions, and countries to follow? 

We'll assemble a group of experts to review the most recent California Air Resources Board auction (February 19, 2014), and identify obstacles to, and propose strategies for, the program's continued success.

Some of the questions they’ll answer:

1)    1) California’s Cap and Trade program has withstood several legal challenges.  What are the current and prospective legal issues?

2)    2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed legislation to  limit the use of offsets to those "originating and achieved within the state”?

3)   3)  The recent effort (AB 177) to replace California’s Renewable Portfolio System with a 2030 greenhouse gas emission (GHG) limit for electrical corporations and publicly owned electric utilities failed.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, which Europe is also considering?

4)   4)  Governor Jerry Brown plans for $850 million dollars of revenues for the GHG Reduction Fund in 2014-2015. What are some of the most viable programs to which these funds should be allocated?

5)    5) What will be the impact of adding transportation fuels to the Cap and Trade program in 2015?

6)    6) The United Nations efforts at “top-down” international treaties for reducing GHG emissions has had limited success. To what extent could “bottom-up” approaches, such as linking regional cap and trade programs (e.g. between California and Quebec) be successful?

Our previous meetings on California’s Cap and Trade program can be seen here: