The Secretariat’s Post

Besides the big bucks -- $4.3 billion -- and the geographic distribution, 25 projects across 30 red and blue states (see map below), what's important about the Climate Pollution Reduction grants that EPA announced on July 22 is that they continue to advance the key role of "subnational" cities and states in climate action. Cities and states across the U.S. stepped up in 2017, after former President Donald Trump took the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords, and said they were still committed to the accords' target of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Looking forward now, these grants are seed money; they will provide ongoing momentum for emission reduction programs at the local level, and as per my report in NetZero Insider, EPA is determined that the funds will be obligated -- signed, sealed and delivered -- by fall, i.e, they should be election-proof. RTO Insider LLC US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Click here to read on! https://lnkd.in/gsFEyKP4

This investment is part of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a first-of-its-kind and national-scale $27 billion program funded through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to combat the climate crisis by catalyzing public and private capital for projects that slash harmful climate pollution, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs. This program will ensure communities across the country have access to the capital they need to participate in and benefit from a cleaner, more sustainable economy. Collectively, the selected applicants have committed to reducing or avoiding up to 40 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years, contributing toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate goals. The White House Executive Office of the President Biden-Harris Transition Team US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) #climatechange #carbon #emissions #sustainability #climateaction #netzero #carboncapture #protectnature #government #epa #greennews #ugreen #ugreentechnology 🌏🍃

Today, in Pittsburgh, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Regan and Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro announced $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda. These grants will fund projects in 30 states and one Tribe, targeting greenhouse gas reduction across six key sectors. The selected projects are projected to cut emissions by up to 971 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2050 - equivalent to the annual energy use of 5 million homes for over 25 years. This historic investment will drive community-driven climate solutions, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America's clean energy transition. #ClimateAction #InvestingInAmerica #EPA https://lnkd.in/e6kMUwjg.

🌍 UK High Court Declares Government Climate Strategy Unlawful 🏛️    In a pivotal ruling, the UK High Court has deemed the government's approach to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 unlawful. This landmark decision highlights the critical challenges in establishing actionable and credible climate policies.    The court agreed with environmental campaigners from Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth, and the Good Law Project, who contended that the reliance on nascent technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) jeopardised the plan's viability. This judgement emphasises the necessity for transparent and practicable strategies to meet our ambitious environmental targets.    This ruling is more than a critique of a policy; it is a directive to chart a course that genuinely steers us towards a sustainable future. Let us use this opportunity to advocate for realistic, science-backed environmental measures that align with our collective commitment to tackling climate change. 🌿    Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dVCRgj3D   #Sustainability #ClimateChange #NetZero #EnvironmentalPolicy #GreenTech

Lots of interesting findings in this article on how companies are backing away from green target setting. I was caught by this sentence early on: "Most have justified the failure to keep up the effort with a common complaint: political and regulatory factors outside companies’ control are slowing progress." Yet another addition to the drumbeat of how important it is for companies to have a clear, right-sized strategy to align their advocacy efforts with their climate goals. It's probably true that some political issues are outside of a single company's control, but there remains a lot of untapped power for positive influence. Ensuring that there is a regulatory and investment incentive environment in place is critical, but too many companies are yet to realize the importance of this strategy. #climateaction #advocacy #climate #policy #CSR https://lnkd.in/egtuaG6r

HOME Alliance member Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)'s Mary Church writes in Interpress Service how oceans have become the new frontier of exploitation for #carbonmarkets while undermining the Convention on Biological Diversity. 🚨 Marine geoengineering is an extremely dangerous distraction from the real #climateaction needed to bring down greenhouse gasses. We are at risk of destroying the delicate equilibrium of the oceans – already severely stressed by over-exploitation, pollution and global heating. 🌊 As we head to #COP29 and as IPCC kicks off its work on 7th Assessment Cycle later this year, voices of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities and fisherfolk must be heard as they reiterate the risk of undermining the vital role of oceans in sustaining life on earth. #StopGeoengineering #SB60 #CBDCOP16 https://lnkd.in/d9udd8C4

What Project 2025 would do to climate policy in the US x Yale Climate Connections "Within the Department of Energy, offices dedicated to clean energy research and implementation would be eliminated, and energy efficiency guidelines and requirements for household appliances would be scrapped. The environmental oversight capacities of the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency would be curbed significantly or eliminated altogether, preventing these agencies from tracking methane emissions, managing environmental pollutants and chemicals, and conducting climate change research... In addition to these major overhauls, Project 2025 advocates for getting rid of smaller and lesser-known federal programs and statutes that safeguard public health and environmental justice. It recommends eliminating the Endangerment Finding — the legal mechanism that requires the EPA to curb emissions and air pollutants from vehicles and power plants, among other industries, under the Clean Air Act. It also recommends axing government efforts to assess the social cost of carbon, or the damage each additional ton of carbon emitted causes."

What does Project 2025 recommend for the environment? “Tracking emissions, managing pollutants, responding to natural disasters—even accurately predicting the weather—would all be trampled in a wave of privatization, deregulation, and unfettered fossil-fuel exploitation.” #Project2025 #environment #climatechange Project 2025 #independents #republicans #democracts #democracy

If signed into law, Florida will bring changes to climate change and energy policy. However, as stated in the article, removing the term "climate change" from the lawbook does not alter the reality of the science. #climatechange #energy #sustainability

Great news in the environment sector as the UK Supreme Court ruling in early June is hailed as a victory for climate action. The court ruled that the County Council of Surrey should have considered the full climate impact of a proposed series of wells to be structured near the town of Horley. The court agreed with environmental campaigners, that, as part of its environmental impact assessment, the county should not only have considered the greenhouse emissions but also the burning of the oil emitted from building the wells. According to experts, they believe that this decision will set a precedent for other nations. More: https://bit.ly/3Lhf89n #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #Environment