{"id":23266,"date":"2023-06-12T13:54:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T18:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=23266"},"modified":"2025-12-03T11:05:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T16:05:50","slug":"california-and-quebec-have-a-major-opportunity-to-raise-the-ambition-of-their-linked-carbon-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2023\/06\/12\/california-and-quebec-have-a-major-opportunity-to-raise-the-ambition-of-their-linked-carbon-market\/","title":{"rendered":"California and Quebec have a major opportunity to raise the ambition of their linked carbon market"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the California Air Resources Board (CARB) finalized its Scoping Plan last year, it marked a critical milestone in charting an ambitious \u2013 but achievable \u2013 path toward a safer, climate future for communities across the state. Now, it\u2019s time for CARB to put that plan into action.<\/p>\n

The good news is that air regulators are taking a key step forward with a new joint workshop between California and Quebec<\/a> on June 14 that will focus on potential amendments to the linked cap-and-trade program. The workshop will discuss the status of the current regulation and, critically, the scope of potential updates to bring the regulation in line with CARB\u2019s 2022 Scoping Plan, which sets a goal of 48% emissions reductions by 2030 \u2013 an essential target to ensure California reaches its long-term reduction goals.<\/p>\n

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Stepping up ambition this decade<\/h3>\n

This rulemaking workshop is a huge opportunity for CARB to start implementing the increased near-term ambition identified in the 2022 Scoping Plan and put California on track to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2045. Meeting these goals is critical to protecting California communities from the most devastating climate change impacts like droughts and wildfires, and intense unpredictable precipitation like that seen across the west coast this year. EDF has emphasized the urgency required in undertaking this rulemaking since the adoption of the 2022 scoping plan<\/a>\u00a0and commends CARB for starting this important process. As things progress, CARB needs to stick to the timeline announced at the March legislative oversight hearing<\/a> and ensure that any changes to the program will go into effect no later than January 1, 2025.<\/p>\n

Following recommendations from the Environmental Justice Advisory Council<\/h3>\n

As California and Quebec explore ways to strengthen their joint program through increased near-term ambition, there are other points of discussion that this workshop should cover. Strategies for improving cap-and-trade to address local air pollution, as the Environmental Justice Advisory Council has advocated<\/a>, should be considered in these discussions, along with the following important program adjustments:<\/p>\n