low-carbon economy

One of the most hotly contested items on this year's California ballot is Proposition 23, an initiative aimed at suspending the State’s landmark AB 32 law (the Global Warming Solutions Act). Prop 23 is being touted as a "jobs initiative," but the real thrust of the proposition is to suspend AB 32 until unemployment reaches a level of 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, a mark that has been hit only a few times in the last 30 years. As a consequence, Prop 23 is effectively a repeal of the law. At a time when the U.S. and California need to redouble its leadership in mitigating climate change and its investment in building a low-carbon economy, Prop 23 would be a major step backwards.Read more

The fourth installment of EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) took place the week of March 22, mainly in Brussels but with satellite events throughout many of the 27 EU Member States. To this observer from Washington, the week's program evoked the old saw, "where you stand depends on where you sit." Brussels and Washington, sitting or standing, are definitely not in the same place.Read more

I’m listening to reader comments on my original blog story.

I do agree that policymakers have to be concerned about dislocation and sectoral job losses and not just net job losses or gains. While AB 32 and other climate change and energy laws undoubtedly present opportunities and risks, it is not a given that there have to be "winners" and “losers".Read more

California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, more commonly referred to as AB 32, is a 2006 landmark piece of legislation aimed at reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions in a manner that is both cost-effective and maximizes the economic benefits to the State. In the past week, however, a group has launched a ballot initiative to suspend the Act in the hopes of getting California’s economy “back on track” and “putting Californians to work”.Read more

I recently attended two conferences where the keynote speakers presented viewpoints on China and clean tech that were dramatically different in perspective. At the Sustainable Capital Forum in San Francisco the keynote was delivered by Steve Westly of the Westly Group venture capital firm (Westly is a former Controller of the State of California and eBay executive). Read more