DWR Director Emphasizes Science-Based Approach to Addressing Climate Change

DWR Director Karla Nemeth told a global audience of water experts and policymakers Thursday that the department has embraced a science-based approach to withstanding extreme weather changes in California while setting the groundwork for a more sustainable future.

“The department is becoming more of a leader in science and the application of science in water resources management,” Nemeth explained to the approximately 200 attendees at Water Pavilion, a water-affiliated program of the Governor’s Global Climate Action Summit. “That’s going to be critical for the water community in California and beyond, to embrace those disciplines and integrate them in how we rehabilitate all our aging infrastructure.”

DWR announced its new climate change goal on Thursday: By 2030, the department will cut its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 60 percent or more below 1990 levels. DWR met its prior goal for GHG emissions in 2015 – five years early.

Nemeth said the department’s scientists, engineers and policymakers have joined the helm of climate leadership in California by embracing climate-related action in their daily work. Each day, the department employs sustainable practices that protect ecosystems, promote green energy and self-generated power, and deliver a clean and reliable water supply to 27 million Californians.

The department’s revamped climate change goal coincides with the release of  “Clean Energy for California”, a guidebook outlining DWR’s methods and accomplishments in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.