Global
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to keep global warming below 2 °C, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) must be halved by 2050 (compared with 1990 levels). Developed countries will need to reduce more – between 80 % and 95 % by 2050; advanced developing countries with large emissions (e.g. China, India and Brazil) will have to limit their emission growth.
United States
- Reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030
- Reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035
- Achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2050
- Delivering 40% of the benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities
Colorado
In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly passed an aggressive greenhouse gas reduction bill: H.B. 19-1261.4 The legislation set a goal to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions from all sources by 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by 2030, and 90 percent by 2050, compared to a 2005 baseline. The legislation makes it clear that dramatically reducing GHGs is required to keep global average temperatures from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, “which scientists agree would provide a more stable and hospitable climate for current and future generations and mitigate the risk of catastrophic climate impacts in Colorado.”1
1Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution, Colorado H.B. 19-1261, 72nd General Assembly, 2019 sess. (May 30, 2019), available at http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1261.
San Miguel County Policy
