Western Climate Initiative Extends to Canada

The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative, started in February 2007, continues to grow. Created by five states—Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington—the alliance grew to include Utah and, recently, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba. The initiative requires the signatory states to work together to establish greenhouse gas reduction goals within six months of signing and to create a regional cap-and-trade system for emissions within 18 months. States must also participate in the Climate Registry, a multistate registry of greenhouse gas emissions created in March 2007 to serve the goals of the initiative but open to all states and tribes. The Climate Registry is online at www.climateregistry.org.