E2 California is delighted to report on the success of our campaign to pass Senate Bill 32 – new 2030 climate targets for the state. These targets will reach a 40% reduction below 1990 levels – a doubling from our 2020 targets.
SB 32 was the centerpiece of our work in 2016, and we rolled out a full court strategy to pass the legislation. Such legislation would seem to be a slam dunk in a state that leads the world in innovative and aggressive climate and clean energy policies. However, in 2015 this trend was set back when the oil industry succeeded in removing provisions to reduce fuel use from Senate Bill 350, partially by advancing the message that reducing carbon emissions associated with fossil fuel would hurt Californians by increasing their transportation costs.
While our support campaign deployed many typical components, like support letters, trips to Sacramento, and opinion pieces, we also produced the much-lauded economic fact sheets for each district in our state Assembly. These sheets provided information to which legislators are particularly sensitive – jobs and economic growth in their districts.
Armed with our fact sheets, we reached out to swing districts to find local businesses and farms that were willing to partner with us in speaking to their elected officials. We then took our message to the media, placing multiple opinion pieces, including Spanish media outlets. The Los Angeles Times joined us on our August advocacy day in Sacramento, which resulted in this coverage.
Ultimately, SB 32 succeeded as the result of efforts by E2 and many of our partner organizations, including NRDC. Together, our coalition has delivered significant climate victories. The business voice and economic facts that E2 provides are critical elements that provide legislators with the information they need to vote on behalf of clean energy jobs and clean air for their district.