House committee hears bill to update Oregon greenhouse-gas targets, set net‑zero by 2050

Representative Mark Gamba, sponsor of House Bill 3477, told the House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee on March 11 that the measure would update Oregon’s statutory greenhouse‑gas reduction goals and set a statutory goal of achieving net‑zero emissions no later than 2050.

The bill would remove the 2010 and 2020 interim goals from statute, add a new 2040 interim target and align the long‑term target with the best available climate science, supporters said. Catherine McDonald, chair of the Oregon Climate Action Commission, told the committee the commission’s technical work shows accelerated policy could meet an earlier interim goal and generate economic and health benefits.

“By being more ambitious, we will provide significant benefits to Oregon’s economy,” McDonald said, summarizing the commission’s Transformational Integrated Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction (TIGR) analysis.

Why it matters: Supporters said updated targets would align state benchmarks with international science, help track progress and signal investment opportunities. Opponents said the change could reopen or trigger state rules that affect…