Western Climate Initiative

The Western Climate Initiative (WCI) - a group of seven states on the West Coast of the United States and four Canadian provinces, intends to introduce a market-based emissions cap-and-trade scheme, as per a draft proposal released on Wednesday. Even though details such as how to appropriate emission allowances etc. are yet to be finalized, the group foresees a 2012 kick-off.

Ontario has now become a member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a US-based carbon trading agreement which already includes 3 Canadian provinces: Manitoba, Quebec and British Columbia. In addition, the WCI contains 7 American states including California and Washington. In 2007, all members decided to cut their GHG emissions by ...