LACEY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Carbon linkage is at the forefront of discussions in expanding the state’s carbon market.

The Washington State Department of Ecology says that they’re in talks with their respective entities in California and Quebec to join their current carbon sharing network. That alliance was formed in 2014, where companies buy allowances at auctions that control the amount of greenhouse gases they can emit.

A similar rule is in effect under Washington’s Cap-and-Trade program. In order to formally join the alliance, lawmakers will need to update the Cap-and-Trade program to align with California and Quebec’s requirements.

The Department of Ecology forecasts that the final agreement between the two states and the Canadian province will not be ready until late 2025 at the earliest.