BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 2702


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          Date of Hearing:  April 18, 2016


                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES


                                 Das Williams, Chair


          AB 2702  
          (Atkins) - As Amended March 18, 2016


          SUBJECT:  Greenhouse gases:  study


          SUMMARY:  Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to conduct a  
          study that outlines best practices and policies for meeting  
          state goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.


          EXISTING LAW requires ARB, pursuant to California Global Warming  
          Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), to: 


          1)Adopt a statewide GHG emissions limit equivalent to 1990  
            levels by 2020 and adopt regulations to achieve maximum  
            technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG emission  
            reductions.

          2)Prepare and approve a scoping plan, on or before January 1,  
            2009, and once every five years thereafter, for achieving the  
            maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions  
            in GHG emissions from sources of emissions by 2020.

          THIS BILL:


          1)Requires ARB, no later than July 1, 2018, to conduct a study  








                                                                    AB 2702


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            that outlines best practices and policies for meeting state  
            goals to reduce GHG emissions. 


          2)Makes related findings regarding California's leadership on  
            climate change, including the "Under 2 MOU" committing  
            California and other signatories to either reducing the  
            emissions of GHGs 80 to 95% below 1990 levels by 2050 or  
            achieving a per capita annual emissions target of less than 2  
            metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.


          FISCAL EFFECT:  Unknown


          COMMENTS:  


          1)Background.  As part of AB 32's direction that ARB adopt a  
            statewide GHG emissions limit equivalent to 1990 levels by  
            2020 and adopt regulations to achieve maximum technologically  
            feasible and cost-effective GHG emission reductions, AB 32  
            requires ARB to prepare and approve a scoping plan at  
            five-year intervals.  


            The first AB 32 scoping plan, adopted by ARB in 2008,  
            described the specific measures ARB and others must take to  
            reduce statewide GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.   
            Pursuant to AB 32, the reduction measures identified in the  
            scoping plan had to be proposed, reviewed, and adopted as  
            individual regulations by January 1, 2011, to become operative  
            beginning on January 1, 2012.  


            In May 2014, ARB adopted a scoping plan update.  The scoping  
            plan update discusses the objective of achieving an 80%  
            reduction by 2050 and the need for a midterm target, but does  
            not propose or adopt a specific target.  According to ARB, the  








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            update defines ARB's climate change priorities for the next  
            five years and sets the groundwork to reach California's  
            long-term climate goals.


            The Global Climate Leadership Memorandum of Understanding  
            (Under 2 MOU) is a non-binding agreement initiated by Governor  
            Brown and 11 other subnational signatories in May 2015, which  
            has since been signed by over 100 additional subnational  
            jurisdictions.  The Under 2 MOU commits the signatories to  
            pursue either reducing the emissions of GHGs 80 to 95% below  
            1990 levels by 2050 or achieving a per capita annual emissions  
            target of less than 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent  
            by 2050, with the goal of limiting global warming to less than  
            two degrees Celsius. 


          2)Author's statement:


               There are a number of programs, policies, and other actions  
               being implemented at the state and local levels to help  
               reduce GHG emissions.  However, the most effective programs  
               and policies in the short-term, mid-term, and long-term  
               have not been assessed and/or inventoried.  


               AB 2702 will create a clearinghouse of best practices which  
               will ultimately assist local governments and other entities  
               in implementing the Under 2 MOU by identifying those  
               programs, policies, and actions that provide effective GHG  
               emission reduction strategies. 


               California is a leader in the fight to address climate  
               change and the Under 2 MOU represents an opportunity to  
               engage local governments within the state and around the  
               world in the effort to limit the temperature rise of the  
               planet to less than 2 degrees.   








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          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:




          Support


          Environment California




          Opposition


          None on file




          Analysis Prepared by:Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916)  
          319-2092