AB 32 Scoping Plan

This page last reviewed June 13, 2013

In 2006, AB 32 required the California Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) to develop a Scoping Plan that describes the approach California will take to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) to achieve the goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The Scoping Plan was first approved by the Board in 2008 and must be updated every five years to evaluate the mix of AB 32 policies to ensure that California is on track to achieve the 2020 GHG reduction goal. In early 2013, ARB will initiate activities to update the AB 32 Scoping Plan.

2013 Update to AB 32 Scoping Plan

The 2013 AB 32 Scoping Plan update will define ARB’s climate change priorities for the next five years and lay the groundwork to reach post-2020 goals set forth in Executive Orders S-3-05 and B-16-2012. The update will highlight California’s progress toward meeting the “near-term” 2020 GHG emission reduction goals defined in the original Scoping Plan (2008).  It will also evaluate how to align the State's longer-term GHG reduction strategies with other State policy priorities, such as for water, waste, natural resources, clean energy and transportation, and land use.

To address the State's near-term and longer-term GHG goals, the update will have both a 2020 element and the post-2020 element. The 2020 element will focus on State, regional, and local initiatives that are being implemented now to assist us in meeting the 2020 goal. The post-2020 element will provide a high level view of a long-term strategy for meeting the 2050 GHG goals.

What are the key focus areas for the update?

ARB plans to focus on five key topics areas for the post-2020 element. These include: 1) transportation, fuels, and infrastructure; 2) energy generation, transmission, and efficiency; 3) waste; 4) water; 5) agriculture; and 6) natural resources.

What activities are planned for 2013?

A Kick-off workshop is planned for Sacramento on June 13th.  Additional regional workshops are planned for June 26th in Diamond Bar; July 18th in Fresno; and July 30th in the Bay Area.  Details will follow shortly.  In mid-August 2013, ARB expects to release a preliminary draft of the 2013 update to the AB 32 Scoping Plan report for public review and comment. In November 2013, ARB expects to bring an updated Scoping Plan document to the Board for consideration. 

• Written Public Comments (Note: Written public comments will be accepted from 10:00 am on June 13, 2013 through 5:00 pm on August 30, 2013.)

• Sign up for the climate change listserve to receive updates about the 2013 Scoping Plan. http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv_ind.php?listname=cc 

Resources

• Submit Written Public Comments
• AB 32 Update (December 2012)
• Mary Nichols speech to Northern California Power Agency (January 2013)

Archive

2013 Schedule

• June 13: Sacramento (Kickoff Workshop)
• June 26: Diamond Bar (Regional Workshop)
• July 18: Fresno (Regional Workshop)
• July 30: Bay Area (Regional Workshop)
• Mid-August 2013: Draft Report
• November 2013: Board Meeting

Timeline

2008 Documents

What is the status of AB 32 implementation?

Since 2006, ARB has been implementing the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32).  Many of the GHG reduction measures (e.g. low carbon fuel standard, advanced clean car standards, cap-and-trade) have been adopted over the last five years and implementation activities have already begun.  California is getting real reductions to put us on track for reducing GHGs to achieve the AB 32 goal of getting back to 1990 levels by 2020.

Background

Chairman Nichols on
AB 32 Scoping Plan

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The original AB 32 Scoping Plan (2008) contains the main strategies California will use to reduce the greenhouse gases (GHG) that cause climate change. The original Scoping Plan has a range of GHG reduction actions which include direct regulations, alternative compliance mechanisms, monetary and non-monetary incentives, voluntary actions, market-based mechanisms such as a cap-and-trade system, and an AB 32 program implementation regulation to fund the program.  These measures have been introduced through four workshops between November 30, 2007 and April 17, 2008. A draft scoping plan was released for public review and comment on June 26, 2008 followed by more workshops in July and August, 2008.  The proposed scoping plan was released on October 15, 2008 and approved at the Board hearing on December 12, 2008.  In August 2011, the Scoping Plan was re-approved by the Board, and includes the Final Supplement to the Scoping Plan Functional Equivalent Document (FED).