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California is our nation’s most progressive state when it comes to instituting measures to protect the environment, especially those related to climate change. Below are summaries of California’s most significant laws intended to ensure sustainability of our atmosphere, planet and its species.
California Environmental Quality Act (1970)
Modeled after the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires local and state agencies to report on environmental impacts of their proposed actions and to take all feasible measure to mitigate them — effectively making every action subject to environmental review.
California Endangered Species Act (1984)
Also based on the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) prohibits the “taking” of any listed species. Unlike ESA, CESA’s definition of “taking” does not include adverse action to or destruction of critical habitat, but the statute protects not only endangered species, but also those that are threatened as well as those proposed to be listed. California’s Department of Fish and Game oversees CESA’s management.
Global Warming Solutions Act (2006)
Known also as “Assembly Bill 32,” the law was enacted to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to battle climate change. It requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to develop schemes to bring the state’s emissions down 25%, to 1990 levels by 2020.
California Renewable Energy Resources Act (2011)
The most aggressive renewable energy standard in the United States, the law requires all California’s electricity providers to obtain at least 33% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
