The six states and two Canadian provinces belonging to the Western Climate Initiative have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the West by 15 percent by 2020.

Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington formed the WCI in February. The state of Utah and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba joined the partnership later.

The governors and premiers of the states and provinces agreed Aug. 22 to the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a cumulative 15 percent by 2020 as compared with 2005 emissions. The WCI members also are working toward an August 2008 deadline for designing a multi-sector market-based cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions.

The governors participating in the initiative called on the federal government to take action and work toward developing worldwide solutions to reduce the release of greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

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