Authorities and lawmakers of the three Californias met today to talk about the ecological future of the region. During this event, that involved the three states, they discussed the need to address the new law that was approved last month regarding the circulation of electric cars in the state of California by 2035.

According to this new law approved on August 25, 2022 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), 100% of cars and passenger and cargo trucks sold in the state must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035. In addition, by 2045, it is expected that all medium-sized and heavy vehicles sold in California are also ZEV.

During the COMCAL meeting, officials of the three states analyzed the impact that the Advanced Clean Cars II rule will have in order to identify cooperation mechanisms that could help to alleviate difficulties regarding its implementation. This includes everything related to ZEV infrastructure on cross-border trade, tourism, environmental protections, environmental health, disaster control, planning, emergency responses, and development of workforce.

“As the agency responsible of organizing COMCAL activities, GO-Biz is pleased to join efforts with IOA and the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego, high caliber institutions, to carry out the first in-person meeting of COMCAL since governor Newsom reestablished the commission,” Director of GO-Biz and Sr Advisor to Gov. Newsom, Dee Dee Myers said. “COMCAL is a critical forum with great importance to share information about our common challenges, as well as discussing collective solutions to face them head on. The meetings today with our colleagues from Baja California and Baja California Sur allowed us to do this and, more importantly, helped us to boost a more productive and long-term relation with our Mexican partners.”

Marina del Pilar Ávila Omeda, Governor of Baja California, stated, “Due to these great challenges caused by climate change, our tri-state region has an unprecedented opportunity to promote a strategy to transition to zero-emission cars, taking advantage of the fact that California is the great worldwide innovator on this matter.” Governor Ávila Olmeda also said that “it is time to go way beyond short-term thinking and start building a binational economic agenda in the medium and long-term so that we can build the Californias of tomorrow.”

Baja California Sur Governor, Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, gave a speech where he highlighted that BCS will lend their friendly hand in order to fraternally build communities where peace, mutual aid, and love prevails. “Brotherhood prevails so we can help each other, respect each other as nations, free and sovereign states.”

In order to make these dialogues easier, officials in charge of writing policies from the three states, the IOA, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego, San Diego State University’s Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias, and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur released a technical report titled “California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) Rule: An Evaluation of Economic Opportunities and Cross-Border Impacts on the Region of the Californias.” There are English and Spanish versions available here.

About the Commission of the Californias (COMCAL)

Established in 1964 by the states of California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, COMCAL has served -until 2001- as a forum to share information about common cross-border challenges at the tri-state level. Throughout the years, the states have united to develop collective solutions to address issues such as economic development, tourism, transportation, infrastructure, preparing and responding to emergencies, the environment, energy, agriculture, and public health.

About the Institute of the Americas

Established in 1981, the Institute of the Americas is a non-partisan, independent InterAmerican institution located at UC San Diego in La Jolla, California, whose goal is to promote social and economic reforms in the Americas, spread communication, and strengthen political and economic relations between Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada. Click here.

About the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego

With its headquarters located at the School of Global Policy & Strategy (GPS) at UC San Diego, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego is a university think tank in charge of developing academic research and informed dialogue about a variety of issues that affect the economic, social, and political relations between Mexico and the US. This in order to strengthen integration between the two countries. Click here.

About GO-Biz

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the state of California’s leader for job growth, economic development and business assistance efforts. GO-Biz offers a variety of services to business owners such as no cost consultation for incentive identification, site selection, regulatory or permitting compliance assistance, foreign direct investment and export assistance. For more information about GO-Biz, click here.