Network name: Western Climate Initiative (WCI) Scope: International Geographic region: North America Central Coordinator Location - City: none Central Coordinator Location - Country: United States and Canada Principal focus: Critical thinking Organization type: Governmental Year started: 2007 Short description*: “The WCI is a collaboration of independent jurisdictions committed to work together to identify, evaluate, and implement policies to tackle climate change at a regional (international) level.” Focus and description*: “The WCI Partner jurisdictions are developing a joint strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region. The centerpiece of the WCI strategy is a regional cap-and-trade program. The WCI released the design of its program on September 23, 2008. When fully implemented in 2015, this comprehensive program will cover nearly 90 percent of the GHG emissions in WCI states and provinces. Analyses conducted on the WCI design indicate that the region can mitigate the costs of reduction emissions and realize a cost savings through increased efficiencies and reduced fuel consumption. These savings come in addition to the benefits for the region from a cleaner environment and promoting the kinds of investment and innovation that will spur growth in new green technologies and build a strong green economy. The WCI is also working together on complementary policies that support the cap-and-trade program, provide additional opportunities to address climate change and achieve related co-benefits of increased energy efficiency, increased renewable energy generation, improved air quality and reduced water pollution, job growth, and increased provincial, state and local revenue.” Great wiki overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Climate_Initiative Funding Source:   Contact details: Project Manager: Patrick Cummins, Western Governors' Association pcummins@westgov.org Phone: 970-884-4770 Assistant Project Manager: Lee Alter, Western Governors' Association contractor lalter@me.com Phone: 520-628-3173 Email: lalter@me.com Website: http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/

Please note that while all networks have a diverse agenda, the "Principal focus" criteria was a judgment call as to what the dominant focus was.

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*Text in quotations are organization's self description that can be cited to their website.