Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León announced yesterday that he would remove the requirement to reduce California’s reliance on fossil fuels by 50% by 2030 from his climate change bill SB 350. In his remarks, made jointly with Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and Governor Jerry Brown, de León pointed to a pitched campaign by the oil industry that eroded support among California Assembly members. While the development is a disappointment for the future of California birds and wildlife, Audubon California remains steadfast in its committment to seeing the bill passed.

“Today’s decision is a setback, but even the oil industry will not hold back progress on making California cleaner and more sustainable,” said Brigid McCormack, Executive Director of Audubon California. “California cannot wage a serious strategy to address climate change without reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.”

The massive ecological changes due to climate change will render California much less hospitable to people and wildlife. More than 177 California bird species are threatened over the next 60 years due to climate change, a subset of more than 340 bird species in the United States, according to a report produced by the National Audubon Society.

“We may have lost action on fossil fuels this year, but SB 350 still represents real progress in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because it will increase California’s renewable energy portfolio and our green building standards,” McCormack said. “Audubon looks forward to continuing to work to wean California off of fossil fuels with Senate Pro Tem de León and others that are committed to seeing real progress in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”