Volts podcast: Danny Cullenward on California's shaky climate plans
In this episode, policy analyst Danny Cullenward of CarbonPlan talks about the disconnect between California’s ambitious climate goals and its actual practical plans for achieving them.
(PDF transcript)
(Active transcript)
Text transcript:
David Roberts
California has long been known, nationally and internationally, as a leader on climate policy. The sheer scale of its economy and the stringency of its emissions targets have made it a model for other states with climate ambitions. As a role model, its successes (and failures) reverberate far beyond its borders.
So it matters a great deal whether California has a practical plan to meet its aspirations. This year offers something of an answer, and … it’s not great.
Volts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Every five years, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issues a “scoping plan,” laying out how it intends to meet the state’s targets.
The last one, in 2017, raised serious questions about whether the state’s cap-and-trade system could do the emission-reduction work that the state planned to require of it through 2030. This year’s draft scoping plan (there’s still time for public comment) answers none of those questions, and instead, looking out to 2045, raises new questions about whether carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) can do the work the state plans to require of it.
That’s a lot of questions. To hash through them, and get a sense of just how prepared California is to meet its climate targets, I called up Danny Cullenward, a long-time policy analyst in the state. (Volts fans will remember him from one of the very first Volts posts.) He is currently policy director at the nonprofit CarbonPlan and a research fellow at American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy.
Cullenward and I discussed what policies have worked to reduce emissions in California, whether the cap-and-trade program can do what’s asked of it, why the current scoping plan leans so heavily on CDR, and whether there’s still time to improve the plan before it’s locked in for five years.
Without any further ado, Danny Cullenward. Welcome to Volts. Thanks for coming.
Danny Cullenward
Thanks for having me on, Dave.
David Roberts
Danny, you were the first interview I ever did for Volts a couple of years ago. And as far as I know, now you're the first return guest.
Danny Cullenward
And the first to pivot to audio. This is fun.
David Roberts
Yeah, the first to pivot to audio. I'm sure this is the kind of accomplishment you used to dream about as a young man.
Danny Cullenward
If I were still an academic, it would be going on my CV.
David Roberts
Alright, so the purpose of our conversation here today is to get a handle on California and climate, sort of where it's been, where it says it's going, and whether it is in fact prepared to go where it says it's going. Before we get there, though, let's do just a little sort of scene setting, a little background. I think everybody hears about laws coming out of California all the time. California is doing this, doing that, and it becomes a little bit of a blur. So let's just sort of clarify what are the targets to which California is committed by statute, and sort of what are its other targets which are less statutory.
Danny Cullenward
I think that's the formal legal definition. That's great.
David Roberts
Semi statutory.
Danny Cullenward
Well, so there's a reason people talk about California and also why people, I think, sometimes get confuse
