Sacramento, May 19, 2015 – The Renewables 100 Policy Institute applauds the eleven subnational governments that today signed a Memo of Understanding (MOU) stating that they are willing to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 80 – 95% of 1990 levels by 2050 or to achieving a per capita emissions target of less than 2 metric tons by 2050, goals in line with scientific conclusions on how to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

The Renewables 100 Policy Institute helped facilitate the launching of this agreement at an initial roundtable meeting that the non-profit organized in July 2014 between California’s Governor Brown and Environmental Minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany Franz Untersteller, among other energy leaders from California and Germany. (See announcement for more details on this meeting)

California and Baden-Wuerttemberg have since partnered to bring on 9 additional signatories: Acre, Brazil; Baja California, Mexico; British Columbia, Canada; Catalonia, Spain; Jalisco, Mexico; Ontario, Canada; Oregon, USA; Wales, UK; and Washington, USA. More are hoped to join by the end of the year.

“I am happy to see this initiative that was conceived ten months ago become a meaningful and growing international effort,” said Baden-Wuerttemberg Environmental Minister Franz Untersteller.

“It is wonderful to see this important agreement come to fruition,” adds Renewables 100 Policy Institute Founding Director Diane Moss. “We hope and trust that there will be many other signatories and endorsements and that national and international leaders will follow these strong role models by agreeing to meaningful climate, energy and efficiency targets in Paris.”