Climate 411

Clearing the Air: California’s Leadership on Clean Trucks

By Alice Henderson / Published: July 28, 2023

A FedEx eStar electric truck in Los Angeles. Photo: Mr.choppers

This blog is co-authored by NRDC’s Britt Carmon, Guillermo A. Ortiz, and David Pettit. It originally appeared here.

California has long grappled with the challenge of improving its air quality, which ranks as the worst in the country. Heavy-duty diesel trucks, which are significant contributors to air and climate pollution, make it difficult for the state to achieve nationwide air quality standards. As such, it should be no surprise that the transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, not only in California, but nationwide as well. However, the scale of the problem is not insurmountable. California has also been at the forefront of regulating tailpipe and motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and has made steady progress towards cleaner air for decades.

Posted in California, Cars and Pollution, Cities and states, Economics, Energy, Green Jobs, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health, Innovation, Jobs, News, Partners for Change, Policy / Comments are closed

New York is poised to elevate its climate leadership with ambitious cap-and-invest program

By Kate Courtin / Published: July 24, 2023

This blog was co-authored by Alex DeGolia, Director, U.S. Climate.

As Governor Hochul and her administration advance a major cap-and-invest program, a new EDF analysis on state emissions reveals how New York’s progress stacks up against its climate goals.

New York has done more to move from pledges to policy than most states, but our analysis finds that the state is still projected to face an “emissions gap” in 2030 — the gap between where emissions are headed under existing policy and where New York needs to be to reach its targets. While New York is not alone in facing an emissions gap, the state stands out for the concerted actions New York policymakers are taking to close this gap.

After finalizing New York’s climate plan late last year, Governor Hochul, state agency officials — led by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) — and New York legislators are diving in and actively working to implement the plan’s recommendations. Notable among these is the development of a cap-and-invest program — a policy that can serve as a critical emissions backstop, offering maximum certainty that New York will reach its climate targets. Just as importantly, the Administration has expressed its commitment to put equity, job creation, and affordability at the center of the program — and it must deliver on this commitment as the program advances.

This is exactly the type of action that other states serious about reaching their climate goals should be taking.

Here’s what to know about the analysis and New York’s climate policy leadership.

Posted in Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Economics, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health, Policy, Science / Read 1 Response

Rising Above the Storm: Transforming My Super Typhoon Experience Into Action

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 13, 2023

Damage in Tacloban, Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyan, 2013

Imagine living in a coastal fishing community with fresh food, unpolluted air, and people sharing their food and resources. Imagine your childhood running around on a beautiful white sand beach, swimming in the ocean whenever you like, and in your free time, collecting seashells from the nearby shore, playing like tomorrow doesn’t matter.

I’m Marinel Ubaldo, a 25-year-old whose idea of a normal life changed after surviving the wrath of super-typhoon Haiyan.

Posted in News / Read 1 Response

Leadership states can drive U.S. climate progress forward, if governors meet their commitments

By Katie Schneer / Published: July 13, 2023

This blog was co-authored by Alex DeGolia, Director, U.S. Climate.

With historic federal climate investments in law, states are now in the driver’s seat to leverage this funding to drive U.S. climate progress forward — adopting bold policies of their own that limit pollution, boost jobs and bring down energy costs.

States that have made climate commitments in line with U.S. goals under the Paris Agreement are in the best position to make a significant impact in cutting U.S. emissions. A new EDF report analyzes state emissions data from Rhodium and projected emission reductions from federal investments to determine how much closer these states could bring the country to its goals.

We find that leadership states could shrink the remaining gap to the U.S. national 2030 target by nearly half, if they adopt ambitious and comprehensive policies that achieve their own emissions targets.

To get there, governors and state leaders must shift policy action into high gear, as our analysis reveals these states are currently projected to collectively fall well short of their climate commitments.

The urgency — and the opportunity — for states to move from climate pledges to policy has never been greater. Here’s what you need to know about the analysis:

Posted in California, Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Economics, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health, Policy / Read 1 Response

What Washington state can learn from California’s decade of climate investments

By Guest Author / Published: June 30, 2023

This blog was authored by Delia Novak, Western States Climate Policy Intern, U.S. Region.

Since the launch of Washington’s cap-and-invest program in January, the state has raised over $850 million in revenue through two consecutive, sold-out auctions under the program. These cap-and-invest auctions provide critical funding for the clean energy and climate resilience projects that will lock in a swift transition to a healthier, safer climate future — with at least 35% of funding used to benefit communities that are overburdened by air pollution and who will be impacted first and worst by the climate crisis if we fail to act.

Last month, Governor Inslee signed Washington’s final budget for 2023-2025, which will make use of a whopping $2 billion in funding from the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), with highlights including $138 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, $123 million for solar and storage projects, $120 million for zero emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles, and $163 million for home electrification rebates. By making decarbonization more affordable and slashing climate-warming emissions, this funding is already an impressive indication of the opportunities and investment that the cap-and-invest proceeds will deliver to communities across Washington.

But Washington’s climate investments are just getting started. In the meantime, we can look to California’s decade of climate investments to understand the important benefits that Washington’s cap-and-invest program can provide for its communities.

Posted in California, Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Economics, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health, Jobs, News, Policy / Comments are closed

After the longest walkout in Oregon’s history, the state’s climate progress hangs in the balance

By Kjellen Belcher / Published: June 16, 2023

For the past six weeks, Oregon’s legislative session has been held hostage. On May 3, a small group of state Senators fled the Capitol instead of fulfilling their core responsibility as elected officials: to represent their constituents by casting votes in the legislative process. Yesterday, those legislators finally returned to the Capitol—but with only ten days left in the legislative session, Oregon’s continued climate progress is at risk.

By boycotting the legislative session, these obstructionist lawmakers halted the basic functioning of government by denying the Legislature “quorum,” a Constitutional requirement that two-thirds of all members be present to hold a vote. This walkout tactic has been used to block climate action in the past, and we cannot let it be used again to delay our progress towards a healthier, safer climate future.

Posted in Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Policy / Comments are closed

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