VICTORIA - A year later: British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington are making progress on commitments.

The Pacific Coast Collaborative (PCC) released a progress report today highlighting achievements in the first year of the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy, last year’s regional multilateral agreement integrating climate change and energy strategies for 53 million people on the West Coast.

Since California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and British Columbia’s Premier Christy Clark signed the Action Plan in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2013, the four governments have been actively demonstrating how subnational governments can work together to promote climate action. The PCC jurisdictions are bolstering their commitments with on-the-ground action, engaging leaders around the world and participating at international climate talks.

As world leaders gathered for the UN Climate Summit in New York in September, the PCC leaders issued co-ordinated statements calling for bold, decisive action. Looking ahead, the four jurisdictions are working together to move global climate policy forward at the UN Climate Conference convening in Lima, Peru in December and the pivotal UN Climate Summit in Paris in December 2015.

"We hear sometimes how state and provincial governments can’t do big things on climate, but in the past year we have shown how our neighbor governments—bound together by a common interest—can work together and make progress on the most significant challenge of our time,” said Premier Clark, 2013-2014 Chair of the Collaborative.

Among the most significant commitments in the Action Plan, was to develop and maintain carbon pricing and low carbon fuels policies in each jurisdiction.

California and British Columbia have moved ahead with implementation of carbon pricing programs, California with an economy-wide cap-and-trade program and British Columbia with a revenue-neutral carbon tax program. Meanwhile, Washington and Oregon are exploring ways to move forward with similar programs. Oregon is building on existing programs to set a price on carbon emissions. Washington is actively developing a carbon market program, including consultations with stakeholders. All of the jurisdictions are working together to advance zero-emission vehicles, promote building energy efficiency and climate-resilient infrastructure.

The Pacific Coast Collaborative was established to address the unique and shared circumstances of the Pacific coastal areas and jurisdictions in North America by providing a framework for co-operative action, a forum for leadership and the sharing of information on best practices, and a common voice on issues facing coastal and Pacific jurisdictions.

Learn more:

Pacific Coast Collaborative 2014 Annual Progress Summary:
http://www.pacificcoastcollaborative.org/Documents/PCC%202014%20Annual%20Progress%20Summary.pdf

Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate And Energy (2013): http://www.pacificcoastcollaborative.org/Documents/Pacific Coast Climate Action Plan.pdf

Progress report: http://www.pacificcoastcollaborative.org/Documents/PCC%202014%20Annual%20Progress%20Summary.pdf

Action plan: http://www.pacificcoastcollaborative.org/Documents/Pacific%20Coast%20Climate%20Action%20Plan.pdf

Co-ordinated statement: http://www.pacificcoastcollaborative.org/Documents/PCC%20UN%20Carbon%20Pricing%20Statement.pdf

Media Contacts:

British Columbia:
Sam Oliphant
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
sam.oliphant@gov.bc.ca
250 952-7252

California:
Governor’s Press Office
GovPressOffice@gov.ca.gov
916 445-4571

Oregon:
Rachel Wray
rachel.wray@oregon.gov
503 559-1277

Washington:
David Postman
David.Postman@gov.wa.gov
360 902-4136