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Tribal Leaders Summit on Climate Change Affiliated Tribes of NW Indians

Hedia AdelsmanSpecial Assistant to the Director

WA Department of EcologyMarch 11, 2015

Background

• May 2007 – BC-CA MOU on Climate Change & Oceans

• June 2007 – WA-BC MOU on Climate Change & Oceans

• October 2007 – BC-OR MOU on Climate Change & Oceans

• June 2008 – “Memorandum to Establish the Pacific Coast Collaborative” from Alaska to California

Pacific Coast Collaborative• Five Jurisdictions with common geography,

shared infrastructure, and a regional economy, which makes it the world’s fifth largest;

• PCC was established to: – Provide a forum for leadership and a common voice

on issues facing coastal and Pacific jurisdictions;– Share vision of Pacific North America as a model of

innovation that sustains communities, and creates jobs and new economic opportunities; and

– Provide framework for cooperative actions.

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pacificcoastcollaborative.org

Pacific Coast Action Plan

Signed by BC, CA, OR and WA, on October 28, 2013.

Multi-regional agreement integrating climate change and energy strategies.

Acknowledge the clear and convincing scientific evidence on climate change.

PCC Action Plan Shared goals:• Lead national and international policy on

climate change;• Transition the West Coast to clean modes of

transportation; and• Invest in clean energy and climate-resilient

infrastructure.

Tribal Engagement• Based on the jurisdiction and topics– WA State has a formal relationship with WA Tribes

– government-to-government.– WA Tribes have been active participants on the

state’s climate change agenda, for example:• Carbon Emission Reduction Taskforce – Chairwoman

Fawn Sharp (Quinault Indian Nation)• Ocean Acidification – Blue Ribbon Panel and Marine

Resources Advisory Council – Terry Williams (Tulalip Tribes) and TJ Greene /Micah McCarty (Makah Tribes) • Adaptation and preparedness – several tribes

Action Plan: How it WorksLead national/ international policy on climate change by:– Accounting for the cost of carbon pollution

• CA Cap and Trade, BC Carbon Tax, OR carbon tax (proposed?), and WA proposed Carbon Pollution Market

– Harmonizing 2050 targets for GHG reductions:• WA has GHG limits for 2020, 2035 and 2050• OR has GHG reduction goals for 2020 and 2050• CA has 2020 goals, proposing 2030 goals (2050 set by

Executive Order)• BC has 2020 and 2050 targets

Action Plan: How it Works (cont.)Lead national and international policy on climate change by:– Cooperating with national and sub-national governments

around the world to build support and momentum for international climate policy in Dec. 2015 in Paris• Participated in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change in New York;• Publicly supported the UN statement on carbon pricing;• Discussing pathways to Paris to highlight the role of states and

sub-nationals;• Signed / in the process of executing agreements with China, UK,

Germany, Mexico, and others; and• Recently met with several West Coast cities to explore joint

actions on climate change.

Action Plan: How it Works (cont.)Lead national and international policy on climate change by: – Enlisting support for research on ocean acidification

and taking action to combat it• Created West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Panel.• Dec. 2013 sent letter to President Obama and Prime

Minister Harper calling for U.S. and Canadian governments support to enhance research, monitoring and coordination efforts on ocean acidification.

• Organizing regional meeting with EPA and NOAA Administrators (or representatives) on OA research and monitoring, policy actions and funding.

Action Plan: How it Works (cont.)Transiting to clean modes of transportation and reduce the large share of GHG emissions from transportation by:– Adopting and maintaining low-carbon fuel standards; – Taking actions to expand the use of clean cars - zero-

emission vehicles and electric vehicles;– Continuing deployment of high-speed rail across the

region; and– Supporting emerging markets for alternative fuels in

commercial trucks, buses, rail, ports and marine transportation.

Action Plan: How it Works (cont.)Invest in clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure by:– Transforming the market for energy efficiency and

leading way to “net zero” buildings; – Supporting strong federal policy on greenhouse gas

emissions from power plant;– Making infrastructure climate-smart and investment

ready (West Coast Infrastructure Exchange (WCX) and water infrastructure climate risk);

– Streamlining permitting for renewable energy infrastructure; and

– supporting integration of the region’s electricity grids.

Achieving the CommitmentsPCC Leaders have:– Made substantial joint progress in implementing the Plan.– Proven that there’s no need to choose between protecting the

environment and growing the economy.– Demonstrated that transitioning to low carbon economy can

create jobs and support economic growth.– Demonstrated how sub-national governments can work

together to build coalition in support of climate action.– Pledged to support the President’s Climate Action Plan and

advocate for strong federal action to deal with climate change.– 2015 is shaping up to be an equally productive year of

activities and accomplishments to create robust climate policy and low carbon-economy on the West Coast.

HTTP://WWW.PACIFICCOASTCOLLABORATIVE.ORG

QUESTIONS?