NEWS RELEASE
March 12, 2024
Media Contact:
Anca Matica, Press Secretary to Governor Kotek
Anca.Matica@Oregon.Gov
Oregon Hosts Western Governors Association Decarbonization Workshop
The fourth and final WGA workshop explores both natural and technological strategies for carbon reduction, utilization, and storage
Salem, OR — Governor Tina Kotek delivered remarks at the fourth and final workshop of the Western Governors’ Association’s (WGA) Decarbonizing the West Initiative, hosted by the State of Oregon.
“Our natural and working lands are a cornerstone of our rural and Tribal economies, and an integral part of building healthy, climate-resilient communities,” she said. “They are also a powerful resource to help meet our state’s ambitious climate goals, sequester carbon, and respond to a future of increasing uncertainty.
“We must not be daunted by the speed and the scale of the changes on the landscape that we’re already seeing in the West because of climate change. Indeed, whether it’s housing, or behavioral health, education, or climate change, my administration is ready to meet the most daunting challenges. That’s what we have to do. We have to say: these are hard, but we can get there. And we have to make progress with strategic solutions – which is part of the goal today.”
To listen to the Governor’s remarks, click here.
Decarbonizing the West is the 2024 WGA Chair initiative of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. The initiative examines how decarbonization strategies and technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, direct air capture (DAC), and natural sequestration, can position western states at the forefront of innovation and reduce the effects of carbon emissions on the environment. An initiative report will be released at the conclusion of the initiative in summer 2024.
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