The text of the final agreement was signed

Despite the opposition of President George w. Bush, U.S. States are committed increasingly stronger in the fight against climate change. In 2003, the Governor of the State of New York, George Pataki, had issued a challenge to eleven U.S. States and two Canadian provinces, offering not only create a registry of greenhouse gas emissions, but also set binding reduction targets, and finally create a market mechanism. Year last, seven of them (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont) have announced their intention to continue to discuss. They are the week reached an agreement last on the operation of this program called "regional greenhouse gas Initiative (rggi, or Reggie for participants)." The text of the final agreement was signed. From 2009, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) energy producers, about 300 sites according to the American press, will be limited to 121 million tonnes per year. This objective will be maintained until 2015, regardless of economic growth. From this date, the States will have to begin to reduce their emissions by 10.

Even if it only concerns the energy producers and starts very gradually, this program can be compared to the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which sets a target of 5.2 between 2008 and 2012 compared to 1990 levels. The license mechanism will work a bit with the European model of trading: each State will give groups a permit to emit a certain amount of CO2. If they exceed this level, the producers will have to buy emission credits from other professionals who themselves made efforts. A quarter of the States reduction targets may be done through efforts of efficiency to the general public. As to energy producers, they will have priority upgrade their own tools, including from coal to gas, he is a two to three times less polluting to 1 kilowatt of electricity produced. But to make the system cheaper for per ton of CO2 in the future market prices, the groups will be allowed to post in their objectives on other investments than their production sites. The RGGI experts have calculated that energy groups should pass between 3 and 21 dollars a year on the invoice of the consumer to meet their obligations.

Remains to be done to emulate

The Governors hope to establish the competitors. Maryland adopted the laws necessary for joining the RGGI next June. However, the district of Columbia and three U.S. States (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island) have chosen to remain merely "observers" and East of the Canada provinces and New Brunswick. For the more impatient companies to show their good will, a solution exists: join the market private climate, Chicago Climate Exchange. Based on a system of voluntary, this market has more than 150 members, including Ford, IBM, International Paper, but also the cities of Chicago, Oakland, Boulder and Portland. But environmental advocates believe that the battle would be actually won the day where the Federal Government will accept to set binding targets. 12 Protest States obtained the Supreme Court determination from October if it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to legislate greenhouse gas.

Moreover, the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger hopes to be able to adopt, before 31 August, by the California Assembly, the Bill sets a target of 25 of gas emissions by 2020 greenhouse. Last year, this State was ranked twelfth largest global issuer with a total of 500 million tonnes of CO2. End of August, the legislature is terminated and the Bill should be filed again.