S-0718.1

SENATE BILL 5421


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2017 Regular Session

By Senators Chase, Hasegawa, and Saldaña

Read first time 01/24/17. Referred to Committee on Energy, Environment & Telecommunications.

AN ACT Relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; amending RCW 70.235.020; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that in 2008 the legislature adopted statewide greenhouse gas emission limits to provide leadership in mitigating the potential adverse climate change impacts to this state as well as nationally and globally and that these limits were based upon the best scientific information then available. The legislature also directed that within eighteen months of the most recent global or national assessment of climate change science, the state department of ecology must report to the legislature and make recommendations regarding whether these statewide emission limits should be updated. Recently the international panel on climate change has released its fifth assessment of projected climate change impacts based on the most recent scientific data. The department of ecology has reported to the legislature and recommends revising the 2035 limit from twenty-five percent below 1990 emission levels to forty percent below 1990 emission levels. In addition, within the 2016 Paris agreement negotiated at the twenty-first conference of parties to the United Nations framework convention on climate change, the United States has pledged reductions over the next decade that exceed those adopted by the legislature through this time period when a linear reduction from current emission levels is considered. Further, the 2035 emission limit adopted by the state is substantially above that suggested by the international panel on climate change for industrialized countries in order to more likely than not limit the global average temperature increase to two degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to strengthen the state's emission limits to be consistent with the reductions pledged by the United States at the Paris agreement and in addition to strengthen the 2035 emission limits to ensure the state continues to contribute its fair share of emission reductions to mitigate climate change impacts.

Sec. 2. RCW 70.235.020 and 2008 c 14 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) The state shall limit emissions of greenhouse gases to achieve the following emission reductions for Washington state:

(i) By 2020, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to 1990 levels;

(ii) By 2025, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to twenty percent below 1990 levels;

(iii) By 2035, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to ((twenty-five)) forty percent below 1990 levels;

(((iii))) (iv) By 2050, the state will do its part to reach global climate stabilization levels by reducing overall emissions to fifty percent below 1990 levels, or seventy percent below the state's expected emissions that year.

(b) By December 1, 2008, the department shall submit a greenhouse gas reduction plan for review and approval to the legislature, describing those actions necessary to achieve the emission reductions in (a) of this subsection by using existing statutory authority and any additional authority granted by the legislature. Actions taken using existing statutory authority may proceed prior to approval of the greenhouse gas reduction plan.

(c) Except where explicitly stated otherwise, nothing in chapter 14, Laws of 2008 limits any state agency authorities as they existed prior to June 12, 2008.

(d) Consistent with this directive, the department shall take the following actions:

(i) Develop and implement a system for monitoring and reporting emissions of greenhouse gases as required under RCW 70.94.151; and

(ii) Track progress toward meeting the emission reductions established in this subsection, including the results from policies currently in effect that have been previously adopted by the state and policies adopted in the future, and report on that progress.

(2) By December 31st of each even-numbered year beginning in 2010, the department and the department of ((community, trade, and economic development)) Commerce shall report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives the total emissions of greenhouse gases for the preceding two years, and totals in each major source sector. The department shall ensure the reporting rules adopted under RCW 70.94.151 allow it to develop a comprehensive inventory of emissions of greenhouse gases from all significant sectors of the Washington economy.

(3) Except for purposes of reporting, emissions of carbon dioxide from industrial combustion of biomass in the form of fuel wood, wood waste, wood by-products, and wood residuals shall not be considered a greenhouse gas as long as the region's silvicultural sequestration capacity is maintained or increased.