Oregon faces a tremendous challenge in addressing the global warming crisis. Our state is already feeling the economic and environmental impacts of increasing global temperatures and rising sea levels.  In 2005, the Governor’s Global Warming Advisory Group released the Oregon Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reductions, a comprehensive report that recommended taking strong action to halt global warming. The report prioritizes necessary first steps for Oregon to cut its carbon emissions.

During the 2007 Legislative Session, the Oregon Environmental Council’s former executive director participated in the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Global Warming, which adopted a set of ambitious goals in 2005 for reducing the state’s contribution to global warming and made a series of recommendations to begin reducing Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. We are pleased to say that the 2007 Oregon Legislature has given these goals the weight of law by adopting them in statute.

The Legislature has also created an Oregon Global Warming Commission to coordinate local and state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Oregon Environmental Council led the coalition effort to develop and pass this legislation, which sets the stage for establishing more meaningful and comprehensive legislation in the upcoming 2008 special session. We have already begun to develop state-level carbon reduction policies for consideration and the broad public support that will be needed to pass them.

Climate Change Integration Act (HB 3543)

Goal: Establish science-based goals for statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and provide for the coordination and implementation of strong global warming mitigation and adaptation measures in Oregon. The specific goals are to:
a) By 2010, arrest the growth of Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions and begin to reduce emissions;
b) By 2020, achieve a 10% reduction below 1990 greenhouse gas levels; and
c) By 2050, achieve at least 75% reduction below 1990 levels.