Governor Gavin Newsom of California, one of the three US state governors attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil, has signed several agreements to help other countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This isn’t the first time California legislators have taken the lead on climate policy: in September, Newsom and California lawmakers passed a package of legislation to help California achieve its own climate neutrality goals. This package extends California’s cap-and-trade program, which places a limit on greenhouse gas emissions, while also rebranding the program as cap-and-invest to emphasize its climate-related investments. In this In Focus video, Darius Gaskins Senior Fellow Dallas Burtraw discusses California’s new climate policies, as well as their potential to cut the costs of living for residents, reduce emissions, and help the state reach its climate goals.
In a recent blog post, Burtraw elaborates on exactly how this legislative package works to reduce emissions, promote affordability, and achieve climate goals in California.
