Washington State Legislature Passes Historic Climate Action measure
Environment Washington; Sierra Club, Cascade Chapter - For immediate release
Mar 5, 2008
OLYMPIA - Today, the Washington State Senate passed a historic climate action bill that joins
Washington with California and New Jersey in placing limits on greenhouse gas reductions and
begins the process to enact a cap-and-trade framework to reduce state emissions by at least 70%
over the next 40 years.
The measure, which had already passed by a vote of 64-31 in the House, today passed in the
Senate by a vote of 29-19. Rep. Hans Dunshee (Snohomish) was the prime sponsor of the bill,
introduced at the request of Gov. Chris Gregoire. Sen. Craig Pridemore (Vancouver) was the
lead in the Senate. Because the bill was not amended in the Senate, it will go directly to Gov.
Gregoire's desk where she is expected to sign the bill into law.
House Bill 2815 includes the following elements:
* Mandates that the state "shall limit emissions of greenhouse gases" to attain 1990 levels of
emissions by 2020, 25% below 1990 levels by 2035 and 50% below 1990 levels by 2050;
* Requires the state Department of Ecology to work through the Western Climate Initiative
to develop Washington's plan for participation in a multi-state cap and trade system and
then report back to the legislature on that plan by December 1 of this year;
* Mandates reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by all large industrial and energy
emitters, the first step in a cap-and-trade system;
* Requires the state Department of Transportation to adopt statewide goals to reduce per
capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT), as well as plans and tools to achieve these reductions.
Transportation is responsible for half of the state's emissions. VMT reductions, along with
cleaner vehicle and fuel technologies, will be critical for reducing the state's emissions.
* Requires state agencies and state colleges and trade schools to collaborate on increasing
the number of green-collar, clean energy jobs in Washington state through job training,
recruitment and retention programs.
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