Emerging scientific research indicates that the Western U.S. will be disproportionately impacted by climactic variability and change. This is due to the natural topographical and geographical diversity of the region combined with increased population growth and a changing economy.

In particular, research has found that water resources, natural ecosystems, agriculture and tourism could be significantly impacted by any increase in average temperature. The dominance of federal land coupled with complex water adjudications has complicated the ability of the region to reach consensus on adaptation policies.

Western Governors have responded by joining forces to try to slow warming and to put in place adaptation strategies to cope with warming.

Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative (CDEi)
The Governors CDEi is addressing climate change issues on three fronts. First, it promotes the widespread adoption of energy efficiency measures which can ultimately reduce the need to construct new power generating facilities. Second, it promotes aggressive market penetration of renewable energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. Renewable energy has zero carbon emissions. Third, it promotes that a portion of new Tier I coal generating plants use advanced technologies with carbon capture and sequestration.

Western Regional Air Partnership
The Governors created the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) in 1997. It is a collaborative effort of tribal governments, state governments and various federal agencies to develop the technical and policy tools needed by western states and tribes to comply with the regional haze regulations and address other common air quality issues raised by WRAP members.

The WRAP has completed two climate change projects.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories and Forecasts: The Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) worked with nine WRAP states to develop greenhouse gas emissions inventories and forecasts (1990, 2005, and 2020).

The Climate Registry: WRAP members participated with other states from across the country to establish a multi-state and tribal greenhouse gas registry. The registry's membership currently includes 36 states, Canadian provinces and the Mexican state of Sonora.

Carbon Sequestration
WGA is assisting four Western Carbon Sequestration Partnerships with their outreach efforts. The Partnerships, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, involve diverse stakeholders in their process. They are currently doing small-scale testing of geological and terrestrial sequestration.

Transportation Fuels
Western Governors empaneled experts from around the region to develop a roadmap for advancing and deploying alternative transportation fuels. While the major impetus is to address concerns of oil shortages, price spikes and national security, the Governors believe fuels reduce global warming impacts from transportation. The Governors' accepted the roadmap report and adopted policy to encourage implementation.

Water
The Governors are advocating for creation of a comprehensive national drought policy. Such a policy would support a proactive approach toward drought and water shortages at all levels of government and the private sector. Given that droughts are predicted to be more frequent and with greater intensity in the West under climate warming scenarios, a national drought policy would provide a sound basis for adaptation.

The Governors released the report, “Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future,” in June 2006 and a follow up "Next Steps" report in 2008. The reports conclude that there is already substantial stress on the water sector today even in the absence of climate change. There are many watersheds that are already over-appropriated, and new stresses are coming from population growth, land use changes and water needs for instream uses. Climate change may pose additional stresses and could result in thresholds being reached earlier than currently anticipated. The reports include recommendations for improved data collection; improved prediction, modeling and impact assessment; state planning; and on-going coordination and information sharing between scientists, policy-makers, and water users.

Wildfires
Wildfires have always been part of our western landscape. However, America’s wildfire environment has changed. Our forests are denser and unhealthier and our climate is hotter and dryer. These factors have contributed to the increasing frequency of large fires and increasing costs. Forest fragmentation and the rapid expansion of the wildland-urban interface have also complicated managing the landscapes - and the wildfires that burn across them.

WGA worked with the Forest Service, Department of the Interior, states, tribes, counties and interested stakeholders to develop an historic comprehensive plan outlining long-term wildland fire management strategy for the West. WGA is working closely with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC), the federal level collaborative body implementing the 10-Year Strategy and Implementation Plan.