Cap-and-trade takes effect in Washington state

BY: MELISSA SANTOS
01/23/23 6:43 EDT

AXIOS | Two major climate-related laws took effect this week in Washington state: a new cap-and-trade program and a clean fuel standard.

Why it matters: Both policies aim to dramatically cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the negative impacts of climate change. That's especially needed in light of a new report issued late last month, which found that Washington state's emissions rose by 7% between 2018 and 2019, the most recent available year of data.

Under the clean fuel standard, fuel producers and importers must reduce the "carbon intensity" of transportation fuel by 20% over the next 15 years.

Carbon intensity is a measure of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fuels over their entire life cycle, from extraction to combustion.

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