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Posted: Monday, 29 October 2007 11:03AM
Corzine Talking Climate Change in Europe
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TRENTON, NJ (AP) -- California, New Jersey and New York on Monday joined with European countries, Canadian provinces and New Zealand in a new international effort to restrict greenhouse gas emissions.
The countries and states formed the International Carbon Action Partnership during a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
Group members will share experiences and lessons learned with each other on how best to restrict emissions, work to create a new market for low-carbon products, promote innovation and research, and work to achieve emission reductions as quickly and cheaply as possible.
California and New Jersey are among three states to enact a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction laws. Hawaii is the other.
New Jersey's law, for instance, requires the state to reduce global warming gases to 1990 levels by 2020, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050. It was signed into law in July by Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who was joined at the forum by Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the European Union's rotating presidency.
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and officials from the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, France and New Zealand also participated.
The participants, during a conference call Monday, said coordination with other regions was vital.
``We build consistency and stability over the long-term for this and it's a critical component of us reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases globally,'' Campbell said.
Linda Adams, California's environmental protection secretary, said California may be a large state and economic power, but cannot solve the problem alone.
``We are facing a global problem and it requires a global solution,'' Adams said.
Corzine and Spitzer said they hoped the partnership will prod the United States to begin taking national action.
``We are here as states, but we are also here hoping that as states we can begin to push our federal government,'' Spitzer said.
Corzine insisted the effort was meaningful, even if other states and the federal government aren't participating.
``I don't think we're tilting at windmills here,'' Corzine said. ``I think we're getting down into the actual details of developing a serious system and we're setting a prototype for the nation.''
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