California governor Jerry Brown signed two bills last week that aim to reduce emissions and incentivize solar power and electric cars.
The Huffington Post reports that SB 32 seeks to cut emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and that AB 197 establishes a new legislative committee for environmental regulation regarding air quality and pollution.
The new goals are the most ambitious of any U.S. state. And given the sheer scale of it ― California’s economy is now the world’s sixth largest ― the law could also serve as a model for international efforts to reduce emissions.