Finding Comprehensive Climate Change Solutions

The League has been working to promote comprehensive and innovative climate change solutions at the state and regional level.

League members adopted a resolution at our 2007 Convention in Big Sky, Montana to evaluate the use of market based programs (such as "cap and trade") for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective way and with the greatest flexibility. A cap and trade program first sets a firm limit on the amount of pollution that can be emitted, in this case carbon dioxide emissions. Then, emitters can "trade" (buy and sell) the right to emit a certain amount of pollution. Therefore, the businesses that can reduce emissions quickly and cost-effectively can sell credits to those businesses that cannot change their practices as easily.

In the Midwest, we are working with the Midwestern Governors Association to lower regional greenhouse gas emissions through the establishment of a regional cap and trade system. We were also a key supporter of the greenhouse gas reduction targets which were enacted into law in Minnesota in 2007 and worked with the Governor's Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group to create an action plan for Minnesota to further reduce emissions. Minnesota law now calls for global warming emissions to be reduced 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050, below 2005 levels.

Links

• Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group
• Clean Energy Minnesota's report: Limit and Lower Global Warming Pollution
• Midwestern Governor's Association Greenhouse Gas Accord
• Clean Air Task Force, State Climate Change Collaborative background materials