Building Codes Assistance Project

Washington, DC--The United States, long considered a laggard in addressing global warming, is poised to achieve significant reductions in global warming pollution thanks to clean energy and climate policies driven by the states, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by Environment America. 

 

America on the Move, released just days before world leaders convene in Copenhagen to negotiate an international agreement on global warming, finds that the United States is already on track to reduce its global warming pollution by approximately 536 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year by 2020 compared to business as usual.

 

The emission reductions are significant. They represent:

 

“There’s no doubt that Congress must pass a comprehensive climate bill, and our research shows that action led by the states has delivered a down payment on the much greater reductions that the science shows are needed to prevent the worst effects of global warming,” said Environment America Global Warming Associate Courtney Abrams.

 

America on the Move quantifies for the first time the reductions in global warming pollution that the United States is set to achieve as a result of state-led actions to advance clean energy and climate policies.  The report reviewed more than 100 policies adopted by states, most of them enacted over the past decade, and estimated the emission reductions that will result from those actions.  The report combines those reductions with estimations of emissions reductions that can be expected from recent federal programs modeled off of state policies and federal initiatives in which states will have key roles in implementation.

 

“America’s clean energy revolution – led by the states – shows that the nation is ready to tackle the challenge of global warming,” said Abrams.  “President Obama should take the next step by working to forge a strong agreement to address global warming during the international negotiations in Copenhagen.”

 

The report was released in states across the country with governors, state officials, and clean energy businesses to highlight state policies that have laid the groundwork for federal action. 

 

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, issued the following statement in response to the report: “Leading the nation and the world, California has stepped up to take action in the fight against climate change and I am proud that our efforts can serve as an example for others. We were one of the first states to take action when we enacted the world’s most comprehensive global warming law to reduce our emissions and grow our green economy three years ago and this report will help build vital momentum as leaders at all levels of government come together from around the world in Copenhagen later this month. Global warming is a global problem that requires a global solution and California is proof that subnational governments can make a difference. I look forward to continue working with our partners in the U.S. and internationally to find additional solutions that will help protect our environment and grow our economy at the same time."

 

“Colorado’s New Energy Economy is quickly becoming a national model, demonstrating how states can create tens of thousands of jobs, spur innovation and lead the way toward a clean-energy future for the entire country,” Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said. “States like Colorado are strengthening our economy, diversifying our energy resources and addressing the perils of unchecked climate change. Our future depends on the kind of progress that is occurring at the state level all around the country.”

 

“Maryland has clearly shown that significant progress can be made at the state level to address climate change by taking actions to limit our carbon emissions and to adapt to the effects of global warming,” said Secretary Shari Wilson of the Maryland Department of the Environment. “Maryland has committed to reduce greenhouse gases 25% by 2020, to increase our renewable energy portfolio standards 20% by 2022, and to reduce energy consumption 15% by 2015.”

 

While the U.S. Congress has yet to adopt a binding national limit on global warming pollution, six U.S. states – California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey –  have adopted such limits. These six states account for nearly a quarter of America’s economic output and 13 percent of its fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide emissions. If these six states were a separate country, they would rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy and seventh-leading emitter of carbon dioxide.

 

Collectively, these six states have committed to reducing global warming pollution by approximately 13 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Including a regional cap on power plant emissions adopted by 10 northeastern states, mandatory emission caps will reduce U.S. emissions by approximately 270 million metric tons per year by 2020 – a level of carbon dioxide pollution comparable to that produced annually by the Netherlands or Turkey.

 

According to the report, additional reductions will result from a variety of clean energy policies adopted by multiple states, including renewable electricity standards adopted by 29 states, energy efficiency resource standards adopted by 22 states, and a variety of other policies.

 

Moreover, since President Obama’s inauguration in January, the federal government has implemented several policies initiated by the states nationwide – including limits on vehicle global warming pollution adopted by California and 13 other states, strong energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting, and strong building energy codes. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress in February, supports a variety of state and local programs to save energy and reduce global warming pollution.

 

Environment America urges the federal government to require reductions in global warming pollution in the United States consistent with the reductions science tells us are necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming – specifically, reducing emissions by 35 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and by at least 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, with the vast majority of those reductions to occur domestically.  Environment America encourages the federal government to implement the best clean energy policies in place at the state level, and urges states to continue to take leadership in adopting and implementing policies to reduce global warming pollution.

 

“Washington state has led the way because this is a race we can’t afford to lose,” said Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA), co-chair of the U.S. House Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus.  “Climate change threatens our health and the environment we enjoy.  In addition, our economic future depends on leading the way in new energy technology.  The ideas coming from home have been a model for what we do in Congress and I will continue to rely on their work.”

 

“States have been called America’s ‘laboratories of democracy,’” said Abrams. “By taking strong action to address global warming, states are showing the nation – and the world – that a clean energy future is within our reach.”

 

The full report can be downloaded at http://www.environmentamerica.org/america-on-the-move.  Abrams and Environment California Director Dan Jacobson can be followed in Copenhagen on Twitter and Facebook.

 

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