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Please consider the following Air Resources Board press release
announcing today's presentation to the World Bank by ARB
Chairman Mary Nichols.  You can review the release online at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr112907.htm .
thank you
Dimitri Stanich
ARB/PIO

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Release 07-56
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2007
	  	  	
Leo Kay
Stanley Young
916-322-2990
www.arb.ca.gov

Head of California agency fighting global warming addresses
World Bank

Chairman Mary Nichols shares California's plans, successes to
support World Bank efforts to address climate change in
developing world

WASHINGTON - Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air
Resources Board, today addressed staff of the World Bank and the
International Finance Corporation about the state's efforts to
address the issue of climate change, highlighting California's
proven ability to spur technological innovation to meet
environmental challenges.

"California is a world leader in the fight against global
warming, and I am honored to share our state's efforts and
approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions with staff at
the World Bank," Nichols said. "I welcome efforts by the World
Bank to tackle climate change in the developing world, and look
forward to working with, and learning from, developing nations
that share California and the World Bank's commitment to address
this global challenge. Establishing close relationships with the
World Bank will pave the way for California's growing clean
technology industry to play a significant role in providing
cost-effective solutions to support climate change programs in
the developing world."

Nichols spoke to officials about California's 40-year experience
in clean energy and its proven ability to spur technological
innovation to meet global environmental challenges. In
particular she pointed out how California's actions, such as
decoupling profits from sales for electric utilities and
stringent building and appliance efficiency standards helped
encourage investment in energy efficiency. As a result per
capita electricity use in California has remained nearly flat
since 1975.

According to a recent study from E2 (a national consortium of
businesses devoted to environmental issues), California led the
nation in clean technology venture investments in 2006, bringing
in a total of $1.13 billion, a 127 percent increase from its 2005
total. In addition, California's share of North American clean
technology investment increased from 31 percent to 39 percent
between 2005 and 2006. The growth in clean technology investment
was primarily driven by the energy technology sector (comprising
of biofuels, wind power, photovoltaics, fuel cells, and
hydrogen).

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the landmark Global
Warming Solutions Act in September 2006, requiring California to
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Since
then the California Air Resources Board, the agency charged with
implementing the law, has developed a range of key early
actions, adopted regulations to limit tailpipe emissions of
greenhouse gases from vehicles, and is about to begin a
year-long scoping plan process to develop programs and measures
to reduce emissions from all sectors of the California economy.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will continue to keep
California among the world's leaders in climate change-related
technological innovation. Over the next ten years, revenue in
clean technology sectors nationwide is expected to reach $226
billion, a fourfold increase over the $55 Billion revenue from
these sectors in 2006.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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