PARTNERSHIPS
Climate change is a global problem that demands action at all levels of government in partnership with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations and academia. Because climate change knows no boundaries, we continue to forge international partnerships and move toward a lower carbon future despite the disappointing outcome of COP 15 and the lingering effects of the global recession. While we recognize current political realities and that a new climate treaty is unlikely in the short term, the global trend in policy action and investment continues mostly through the work of subnational governments. This momentum cannot be lost. The UN predicts that 50-80 percent of pollution cutting actions that are needed for a new international commitment will take place at the subnational level. As climate leaders, we can and must take action.
We are proud to highlight some of our key partnerships in the fight against climate change.
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment in the United Nations system. It is an advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting sustainable practices throughout the world.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) strives to reduce poverty, increase literacy, create jobs, enhance technical cooperation between industrialized and non-industrialized nations and protect the environment.
- Western Climate Initiative (WCI) is a partnership among seven U.S. states and four Canadian provinces working to develop and adopt policies and programs to reduce GHG emissions, adapt to climate change and enhance the regional economy.
- International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) is a forum of governments that are engaged in designing and implementing carbon markets through a cap-and-trade system.
- Climate Action Reserve (CAR) is the premier carbon offset registry for the North American carbon market. It establishes high quality standards for quantifying and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction projects, oversees independent third-party verification bodies, issues carbon credits generated from such projects and tracks the transaction of credits over time in a transparent, publicly-accessible system.
- The Climate Registry (TCR) is a nonprofit collaboration among North American states, provinces, territories and Native Sovereign Nations that sets consistent and transparent standards to calculate, verify and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions into a single registry.
- California/Mexico Border Relations Council: California has a long history of working with Mexico and its border states on environmental protection to promote sustained joint collaboration.
- Pacific Coast Collaborative (PCC) is a formal agreement between Pacific Coastal states in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico working to address environmental and economic challenges on the West Coast and position the region as a hub of innovation and sustainable living.
- The Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force is a unique subnational collaboration to share ideas, build capacities, and develop recommendations for bringing Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) and other forest carbon activities into climate policy.
- R20-Regions of Climate Action is an independent coalition of states, provinces and other partners that will serve as a catalyst for building a green economy throughout the world.