California Seeks to Slash Greenhouse Emissions by 15 Percent by 2020

SACRAMENTO, CA --- California regulators on Thursday, Dec. 11, adopted a comprehensive plan to cut greenhouse gases -- the first of its kind in the nation, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Approved by the state's Air Resources Board in a unanimous vote, the plan seeks to cut the state's emissions by 15 percent from today's level over the next 12 years, bringing them down to 1990 levels. The 134-page plan spells out general targets for nearly every sector of the economy, including transportation. According to the L.A. Times, the plan will require automakers to make less-polluting cars and reformulate transportation fuels to be less carbon-intensive by 2020.

The plan's blueprint is set to be implemented over the next couple of years through industry-specific regulations. However, Republican legislators have made pleas to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to delay the plan because of its economic consequences.

The plan was the result of California's landmark 2006 global warming law. Since the state adopted that law, four Canadian provinces and seven western states have formed regional cap-and-trade programs.