Washington Conservation Action’s Post

The White House released the new U.S. goal to reduce climate pollution 61-66% by 2035. This is required as part of U.S. participation in the global Paris Agreement. It sets a new North Star for states, cities, farmers, businesses and more to work towards. Here’s what Gina McCarthy had to say. “Let me assure our international partners that the United States is not going back, we are marching forward. States, cities, businesses, and local institutions are fully committed to achieving our ambitious climate goals and to working arm-in-arm with our international colleagues to advance the global transition to clean energy. The extraordinary efforts undertaken during the Biden Administration have turned our country’s climate challenge into an enormous opportunity to build a clean energy economy that has attracted unprecedented amounts of public and private investments, created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, and advanced the health, wellbeing, safety, and security of communities all across America. “America Is All In and our nation’s clean energy coalition are emboldened by this target and we stand ready to do the hard work needed to achieve and exceed it.” https://lnkd.in/dvxr3MjC

Frontline climate groups – especially those led by women and people of color – are securing climate policy wins and developing clean energy projects that have the potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and benefit millions of people. This article highlights the key findings from our impact analysis on innovative climate policy solutions that we worked on for The Solutions Project. Read here: https://bit.ly/4dW71fv #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #JustTransition #ClimateSolutions #ClimatePolicy #UpliftingEquitableSolutions #AdvancingClimateJustice

After reviewing Senate Bill 1036, ClimeCo has serious concerns about its effectiveness in creating clarity in climate claims and its potential to have catastrophic consequences on the voluntary carbon market, an effective tool to reduce climate emissions. Continue reading this special news hit to see our full list of concerns and why you should know about this bill. Read our Special News Hit here: https://lnkd.in/g3Cx4k5x #ClimeCo #EnvironmentalMarkets #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits #CarbonOffsets #VoluntaryCarbon #VCM #SB1036 #California #CarbonCompliance #ClimateClaims

Just read a thought-provoking piece by Holly Buck in Jacobin: "Obsessing Over Climate Disinformation Is a Wrong Turn" (https://lnkd.in/eQzHYtyd). While it's generated some pushback (most from a Global North perspective), I believe it raises crucial points we can't afford to ignore in our climate action efforts. My key takeaways: 1. We must take people's concerns seriously, their skepticism often stems from valid concerns. 2. Meaningful engagement is crucial - we can't treat people as passive recipients of information or misinformation. 3. The climate movement needs to engage more directly with affected workers and communities. 4. We need more spaces for public deliberation about climate policies and their impacts. Working on energy transitions in the Global South has made these points even more apparent to me. We often encounter a range of concerns, questions, and skepticism, particularly in coal-dependent regions. It's reductive and potentially harmful to dismiss these voices as merely victims of disinformation or unaware. There's a dangerous fallacy that people in certain regions lack knowledge about climate change. In reality, many are experiencing changes firsthand and have been adapting using strategies passed down through generations. The technocratic view that "they don't know" is dismissive and perpetuates climate action as an elitist, top-down agenda. Consider countries struggling with energy reliability and access. When faced with discussions about phasing out coal while experiencing daily power outages, confusion and skepticism are natural responses. We need to engage with these real-world complexities. Another example is forest-dependent communities being asked to switch their livelihoods to low-carbon, nature-positive activities. These communities face significant trade-offs, fundamentally altering their way of life and economic survival strategies. Their hesitation isn't about denying climate change, but about grappling with immediate, existential concerns. Even within organizations prioritizing climate action, we must create space for questions and concerns. Dismissing skepticism or closing off dialogue is counterproductive. While it's crucial to take disinformation seriously, especially when it's part of political agendas blocking climate action, we can't let this overshadow the importance of genuine engagement with diverse perspectives. We need to be ready to engage with skepticism, get our hands dirty, and avoid putting people in boxes like"victims of disinformation” or "uninformed." That's not a luxury we can afford in the face of the climate crisis. Thoughts? How can we better create spaces for genuine dialogue and engagement in climate action efforts, especially when it involves significant trade-offs for vulnerable communities? #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition #Engagement #JustTransition #ClimateJustice

Bill Alert! US House Bill HRES 1563 - Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and thus to restoring the climate. Policy: Environmental Protection Status: Bill Introduced Full Details: https://lnkd.in/e-8xixHg Bill 118 HRES 1563, titled "Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and thus to restoring the climate," is a resolution introduced in the United States Congress. The purpose of this resolution is to convey the commitment of the United States to addressing climate change and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for future generations. The resolution emphasizes the importance of taking action to combat climate change and acknowledges the significant impact that human activities have had on the environment. It recognizes the need for the United States to play a leadership role in addressing climate change and calls for the implementation of policies and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability. Furthermore, the resolution highlights the importance of investing in renewable energy sources, promoting energy efficiency, and supporting efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. It also emphasizes the need for international cooperation and collaboration to address climate change on a global scale. Overall, Bill 118 HRES 1563 underscores the importance of prioritizing environmental protection and sustainability to ensure a safe and healthy climate for future generations. It serves as a statement of Congress's commitment to taking action on climate change and working towards restoring the climate for the benefit of all.

Great news for the climate! States across the US have submitted comprehensive plans to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlining their strategies to significantly reduce climate pollution. This is a major step forward in the fight against climate change, and a testament to the power of the Inflation Reduction Act. Some key details: 📘 Nearly 7,000 pages of documentation are now available for public viewing on the EPA's website, showcasing the scale of planning and ambition behind these state-led initiatives. 🏡 The plans focus on a variety of solutions, with a strong emphasis on reducing climate pollution from the transportation and building sectors. 🇺🇸 Some states are setting ambitious goals, but there is variation in ambition across the plans. 🤝 Over 16,000 stakeholders were involved in the planning process, demonstrating a commitment to broad engagement. More from Heatmap News: https://bit.ly/3JrU5A1 #ClimateAction #EPA #InflationReductionAct

We can’t surrender in the fight to protect ourselves from climate change, limit life-threatening pollution, and make investments to build a clean and sustainable future.  Despite Trump’s election, Environmental Defense Fund will not waver in our work for progress. We will fight extreme agendas with everything we've got. Because we believe there’s still a path to a stronger, brighter future with affordable and reliable clean energy, good-paying jobs in clean manufacturing and healthier, more resilient communities. https://lnkd.in/es7MznrN

New Climate Funding Alert! The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program is poised to distribute $5 billion to states, municipalities, Tribes, and other governments to tackle local climate challenges. The first phase of the program has already allocated $250 million in planning grants, and almost every US state** has responded by submitting a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) to the EPA. These Climate Plans are pivotal for: - Addressing climate change - Advancing clean energy - Lowering energy costs - Cleaning up air pollution - Creating jobs Key Insights from Initial Reviews: - 47 Climate Plans from 45 states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. were reviewed, covering 90% of the US population and carbon emissions. - States included 654 priority measures across sectors like transportation (190 measures), buildings (147), electricity (114), and waste (88). - There is a significant variation in the number of measures per state, reflecting unique local priorities. Next Steps: The EPA will soon release $4.6 billion for states to implement their Climate Plans. This massive investment aims to drive nationwide progress in cutting climate pollution. Please reach out if you'd like to see if we can leverage these funds to achieve transformative climate action and sustainable growth for your organization. #ClimateAction #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #CPRG #IRA #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalJustice #GreenJobs https://lnkd.in/gxwuG97u

The environment is winning...

In his excellent statement defending the critical role of carbon markets in driving climate action, Dr Will Turner makes a number of critical points, namely: that offsets do not and must not pre-empt direct action and that eliminating them exacerbates the challenges Global South communities have financing mitigation and essential work to make their communities more resilient.