On February 26, the governors of five Western states signed a global warming "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) linking up their efforts to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
According to a press release, the five western governors from the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington are now on track to launch a regional cap-and-trade program to address major industrial and commercial emissions, with specific regional emission targets within six months. They also committed to set up a market-based system "such as a load-based cap-and-trade program," by August 2008. Though each of the states will continue implementing their existing programs, the new MOU joins them together into a "Western Regional Climate Action Initiative." Ten Northeast states are on a similar track through the "Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The Western coalition coordinated in part because they believes Congress has not moved fast enough to respond to global warming. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is holding a hearing on March 1 on state and local efforts to address global warming.