Skip to main content

The California State Senate Select Committee on Climate Change and AB 32 Implementation held a four-hour informational hearing in Sacramento on 7 January 7 2010. Assembly Bill 32 is California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which mandates a carbon trading program be in place by 2012. NERA Senior Vice President and Environment Group Head Dr. David Harrison participated in the hearing. He summarized experience under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the prominent carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program that began on 1 January 2007. Dr. Harrison noted that, while the EU ETS shows that cap-and-trade is not perfect, it does perform better than the alternatives, and the EU ETS program provides a useful learning experience for California -- and US -- program design. Dr. Harrison also participated in the question and answer period with members of the Senate Select Committee.