Western Regional Climate Change Initiative

The governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington state agreed that they would develop a regional target to lower greenhouse gases and create a program aimed at helping businesses reach the still-undecided goals.

“In the absence of meaningful federal action, it is up to the states to take action to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this country,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. “Western states are being particularly hard-hit by the effects of climate change.”

The aim of the program may be to help businesses reach emission-reduction goals, but do the businesses want it?  It seems to me that regional carbon initiatives aren’t meant to help businesses at all; in fact, they are aimed at forcing the hands of businesses in reducing emissions.  In my opinion, states that enter into such regional agreements place their businesses at a comparative disadvantage to competitors in non-member states and abroad, effectively creating an incentive for businesses to relocate.  What these states should do is press the federal government to take action at the international and national levels.