About Climate Change
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has taken an in-depth and detailed look at the climate challenge and its implications for our company and the world. Our findings have been fascinating and foreboding, illuminating and inspiring, and ultimately, for us, clear and compelling. The link between greenhouse gas emissions and the Earth's warming climate is convincing, the potential consequences are serious, and the need for action is urgent.
Climate Change
Human activities—such as the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and vehicles, and land use changes from cutting down trees—are changing the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. These activities result in the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. The rapid buildup of these gases in the atmosphere is strengthening the Earth's natural greenhouse effect. These gases act like a blanket, trap heat at the Earth's surface, and warm the planet.
The world's leading climate scientists predict extreme climate changes due to global warming. If the warming of the Earth continues, California will experience more frequent and intense heat waves (especially in the Central Valley), increased droughts and wildfires, rising sea levels affecting coastal as well as bay and delta areas, and significantly reduced summer snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with earlier spring runoffs causing flooding in the Central Valley.
According to a recent State government report, Our Changing Climate: Assessing the Risks to California, "Continued global warming will have widespread and significant impacts on the Golden State. Solutions are available today to reduce emissions and minimize these impacts." Thus, State policy calls for action, starting us down the path of making significant reductions in greenhouse gases.
PG&E's Actions
PG&E agrees with the world's scientists that climate change is real and that the time for action is now. As a major energy company, we believe we have a responsibility to be at the forefront of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are taking a lead in various parts of our business, advocating for regulation of greenhouse gases through partnerships like USCAP, investing in renewables, and supporting our customers through one of the country's most successful energy efficiency programs, alongside many other innovative environmental initiatives.
PG&E’s ClimateSmart™ program, a first-of-its-kind voluntary climate protection program approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, empowers our customers to take another action on global climate change. At PG&E, we're proud to be the first customer to enroll in the ClimateSmart program, committing at least $1.5 million in shareholder funding to making our buildings "climate neutral." We are pleased that since its launch in June 2007, thousands of organizations and residential customers have joined us and we hope you will too.
To learn more, review our brochure, Global Climate Change: Risks, Challenges, Opportunities and a Call to Action.
For More Information
Governmental Agencies
- California Climate Change Portal
- California Energy Commission
- California Public Utilities Commission
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - ENERGY STAR
Scientific Reports
The ClimateSmart program is being funded by PG&E customers in accordance with a decision of the California Public Utilities Commission. To make participating customers climate neutral, PG&E may enter into greenhouse gas emission reduction contracts where the reductions occur over time into the future.
