SB 12, introduced by Senator Henry Stern and sponsored by The Climate Center, requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, accelerating the state’s current statutory goal of 40 percent reductions by 2030.
- Status: Failed in Committee.
- Letter to Senate Environmental Quality Committee Chair in support of SB 12, March 8, 2023
California’s current goal to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2030 puts us well behind many of our closest allies. For example, the European Union’s 2030 target is 62 percent, Denmark’s is 70 percent, and the United Kingdom’s is 68 percent. With the state projecting $48 billion in climate investments over the next five years — as well as $374 billion in federal investments through the Inflation Reduction Act over the next decade — now is the time to raise our ambitions.
For the world to have a chance at a climate-safe future, we must do much more, much faster right here in California. Not only that, but our analysis shows that California has the ability to reduce emissions 65 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, even greater than the target proposed by SB 12. The same analysis concluded that achieving a 65 percent target would also create 300,000 jobs in the state, prevent 2,430 premature deaths each year, and boost GDP by 1.79 percent.
