SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board today released the proposed update to the AB 32 Scoping Plan. The Scoping Plan guides development and implementation of California's groundbreaking greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. The Air Resources Board is required to update the Scoping Plan every five years.

“The 2013 Scoping Plan update lays out the remaining steps to the 2020 limits set by AB 32. It moves the process forward with an approach which cuts across economic sectors to combine greenhouse gas reductions with reductions of smog-causing pollutants,” said Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “It also describes the need to extend key reduction programs now underway. The 2013 update lays the scientific and technological foundation to ensure sustainable midterm and long-term emission reductions as well as public health and economic goals.”

To achieve these goals California will need to continue building on the AB 32 framework over the coming decades. The update also lays out a set of new actions that will move the state farther along the path to a low-carbon, sustainable future.  Some of the actions are near-term, while others are focused on longer-term efforts that will provide major benefits well into the future.

Every major economic sector in the state must play an increasing role in this cross-cutting effort to reduce greenhouse gases and smog. Success will require the creation of new policies in some sectors, and expanding and refining existing policies in others.

The update identifies eight key sectors for ongoing action:

• Energy
• Transportation, fuels, land use and infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Water
• Waste management
• Natural lands
• Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (such as methane and black carbon)
• Green Buildings

The 2013 update incorporates the latest scientific consensus which indicates the need for accelerated emissions reductions in the coming decades to achieve climate stabilization. This update calls for a midterm statewide greenhouse gas reduction target, and specific reduction targets for each of the key sectors to guide California’s path toward an 80 percent reduction by 2050.

The 2013 Scoping Plan update includes input from a range of key state agencies. It is also the result of extensive public and stakeholder processes designed to ensure that California’s greenhouse gas and pollution reduction efforts continue to improve public health and drive development of a more sustainable economy.

To view the 2013 Scoping Plan update, click here.