On October 28, 2013, two U.S. states, Washington and Oregon, signed an agreement with California and the Canadian province British Columbia that will set prices for carbon emissions in Oregon and set emissions limits and standards for Washington, efforts that will help to align regional efforts.
The collaboration follows a prior effort to form a regional authority on emissions trading policies, the Western Climate Initiative (WCI); the group’s members currently include British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
WCI will meet with officials from the Chinese coast in January to discuss possible collaboration.
These actions demonstrate continued U.S. and Canadian interest in pursuing regional carbon markets, an effort which has slowed on the national agenda.
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Pakistan’s unprecedented climate shocks make it clear: regional cooperation for managing shared waters is desperately needed. To halt the increasing impacts on agriculture and livelihoods that cripple the country’s economy, diplomacy is of paramount importance. In our interview, Moeen Khan explains how territorial and ethnic tensions with India hinder much-needed transboundary solutions – and how the international community can help.
Environmental defenders in Brazil are at risk — last year, 57 were assassinated and the numbers are increasing. The UN has launched a new initiative to address the escalating violence. This article shows the challenges faced by an activist from the Amazon region who fights for justice, and it notes how the Brazilian government can save lives while preventing unregulated exploitation in the region.
Changes are occurring that could make climate action a driver of the domestic agenda for economic and social progress and for international cooperation. With the help of market forces and technological advances, the tide is moving toward climate action. Paul Joffe argues that a key to success is a strategy that draws public support and makes climate policy a force in a larger industrial renaissance.
The world can achieve slower climate warming, preventing temperatures from rising by more than 1.5˚C, a global scientific panel says. But time is short.