# States and Cities Lead the Way

*Published:* 2007-09-25
*Author:* Derek Walker

*The author of today’s post, Derek Walker, is the Deputy Director of the State Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense.*

We need federal legislation to solve the global warming crisis – there’s no doubt about that. But state and local governments don’t have to sit around waiting while the federal debate goes on – and many aren’t. States and cities across the country are taking the lead on a wide range of climate issues, demonstrating the political courage and policy innovation needed to protect our planet from the most dangerous effects of global warming.

- California enacted the first mandatory state-wide emissions cap, to reduce their emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Other states have followed suit. [New Jersey](https://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/06/26/nj_climate_bill/) and Hawaii have passed emissions caps, and the governors of Minnesota and Florida have announced emissions targets.
- California passed stringent CO2 emissions standards for cars and trucks that have been adopted by 14 states. When automakers challenged this, a [Vermont federal judge upheld its legality](https://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/09/12/vt_victory/). (The EPA still must approve the new standards before they can be enforced.)
- This past July, the governors of California and Florida signed [cooperation pacts](http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSHO41492320070714) with Germany and Britain to share energy-saving technologies and discuss post-Kyoto protocols. Sadly, our federal government has been reluctant to sign international climate treaties.
- States have joined forces to fight global warming in regional initiatives representing more than half the country. The [Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative](http://www.rggi.org/) (RGGI), for example, is a consortium of nine states in the northeast. The [Western Climate Initiative](http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/) (WCI) is a compact that several western U.S. states, Mexican states, and Canadian provinces have joined or are observing.
- More than three-quarters of U.S. states have joined [The Climate Registry](http://www.theclimateregistry.org/) to develop and manage a greenhouse gas reporting system.
- There is an [agreement](http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/) among mayors of over 530 cities in all 50 states to follow the emissions-reductions standards of the Kyoto protocol.
- New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg has been particularly active in fighting global warming. His [PlaNYC](http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/home/home.shtml) proposal will quadruple bike lanes, convert taxis to hybrids, and impose a congestion fee for driving into Manhattan. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other big-city mayors also have announced climate action plans.
- This month the National Governors Association (NGA) launched an initiative called *[Securing a Clean Energy Future](http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.6c9a8a9ebc6ae07eee28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=d950239df46f4110VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD)*. In an [interview with the Associated Press](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/13/tech/main3257094.shtml), NGA chair Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn. said, "We have a federal government that doesn’t seem to want to move as fast or as bold as many would like." If enough states act to curtail greenhouse gases, "it becomes a de facto national policy."

These are just a few examples of what state and local governments are doing. To learn more, check out this [excellent summary of state actions \[PDF\]](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/7000_SECPetitionAppendixC_GreenhouseGasRegulations.pdf). The leadership of state and local officials helps to drive action at the national and international level, and models best practices for future policymaking.