Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a regional initiative by states in the Northeastern United States region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The RGGI is designing a cap and trade program for emissions from power plants. In August 2005, the RGGI staff working group proposed an emissions reduction program that would start in 2009 and lead to a stabilization of emissions at current levels by 2015. This would be followed by a 10% reduction in emissions between 2015 and 2020. The proposal would also allow participants to purchase offsets to meet 50% of their emission reductions.

As of April 20th, 2007, ten Northeastern US states are involved in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It is believed that the state-level program will apply pressure on the federal government to support Kyoto Protocol.

The US has not ratified the treaty and the protocol is non-binding over the United States until ratified. Ten north-eastern states aswell as California, along with 187 mayors from US towns and cities, have pledged to adopt Kyoto style legal limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels started a nationwide effort to get cities to ratify the Protocol. Reports show 663 US cities in 50 states, representing over 70 million Americans are in support of Nickels call to sign the Protocol.

A parallel effort to reduce emissions in the Northeast is the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate Change Action Plan, which calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020. On December 20, 2005 seven states, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" committing themselves to move forward with the program. Special provisions are made in that document for Massachusetts and Rhode Island to join the effort at any time prior to January 1, 2008.