Air board calls for ‘bold’ climate steps

One proposal would slash refinery emissions by 20%.

SACRAMENTO — If California wants to hit its goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it has a lot of work to do. That’s the inescapable conclusion from a new report released by the Air Resources Board on Friday, which detailed a range of proposals for new regulations.

Legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year requires the state to slash emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, which is equivalent to 260 million metric tons.

The law requires California to squeeze into a smaller carbon footprint at the same time its economy and population are expected to grow.

Friday’s report says current policies will get the state down to only 310 million metric tons, 20% too high, and even reaching that point will probably prove difficult. For example, state officials have already been struggling to get enough zero-emission vehicles on the roads.

However, California leaders say this is the pace of change that the entire world will need to match to avoid some of the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

For the state to hit its goals, the board is proposing two major policies. First, regulators want to slash emissions from refineries by 20%, which would be achieved by requiring facilities to become more efficient.

Second, they want to con-

tinue the cap-and-trade program after 2020, something Brown emphasized this month. The program requires companies to buy permits to release emissions.

Regulators suggested some possible changes to the program, such as reducing the use of offsets, a controversial practice that allows polluters to support climate-friendly projects in other areas of the country instead of cleaning up their own operations.

“Climate change is impacting California now, and we need to continue to take bold and effective action to address it head on to protect and improve the quality of life in California,” board Chair Mary Nichols said.

The proposals released Friday will probably be the subject of heated debate and possible revision before regulators consider them for approval in April.

Michael Wara, a Stanford law professor who focuses on energy and the environment, called California’s climate goals “unprecedented.”

“People outside of California who work on these issues see that target and say, ‘What? Are they joking? That is insane,’ ” he said.