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Global leaders made progress this year, but urgent work remains to ensure farmers, fishers and ranchers can feed a growing population on a changing planet. The post Four takeaways from a year of global action on food, agriculture and climate first appeared on Growing Returns.

Statement from Alice Henderson, Director and Lead Counsel for Transportation and Clean Air Policy for Environmental Defense Fund

Statement from Peter Zalzal, Associate Vice President for Clean Air Strategies at Environmental Defense Fund

The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will not review challenges to California’s core statutory authority to enforce its own vehicle pollution limits.

In recent years, North Carolina communities have weathered one storm after another, with Hurricane Helene being no exception. Hurricane Helene followed a once-in-a-thousand-year rain event in western North Carolina, which as a result caused widespread devastation and $53 billion of damage to the state alone. The impacts also stretched far beyond North Carolina, affecting communities throughout …

Half-fixes cause more harm. When water utilities only partially replace lead pipes, it increases the risk of lead exposure for residents.

By Pedro Piris-Cabezas and Glenda Chen Airport activity emits a noxious cocktail of air pollutants, including ashy particulate matter, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Among them, PM emissions from aircraft turbines often fly under the radar yet have an outsized impact on regional air quality and public …

Detailed in Virginia's 2025 Common Agenda are three key opportunities for lawmakers to continue progress on flood resilience initiatives.    The post Ahead of the 2025 General Assembly, here are 3 ways to build flood resilience in Virginia first appeared on Growing Returns.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Holds Oral Argument on the Standards Today - Statement of EDF General Counsel Vickie Patton

With anticipated environmental rollbacks at the federal level, the U.S. needs states to act on climate in order to make progress towards the nation’s 2030 commitments. Luckily, there are already signs of momentum. A landslide victory in Washington state to protect its climate law sends a hopeful message that ambitious climate action at the state …

These devastating disasters underscore the need and urgency to build resilience and ensure preparedness ahead of future storms. Florida leaders have made great progress this year to better protect residents, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Let’s look back at Florida’s 2024 progress and consider new initiatives to prepare for the next storm.  The post How Florida built resilience this hurricane season and what can be done to prepare for future storms first appeared on Growing Returns.

Here's what the UN’s annual climate conference, COP29, delivered — and what’s still needed. 

By: Jane Eisenhardt Wrapping up Baku and the message for business is clear: we are officially in the era of implementation.   Over the past four years, a growing wave of companies, cities, states and financial institutions made ambitious climate commitments. Since COP26 in Glasgow, over 15,500 entities committed to net zero through the Race to …

The outcome falls well below expectations of developing countries. It will be essential to rebuild the trust and engagement required for climate action.

After four years of stalled negotiations, COP29 has delivered a breakthrough on Article 6.

This post was authored by Bärbel Henneberger, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Environmental Defense Fund.  On November 21, COP29 celebrated Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP and LCs) as a thematic day in the Action Agenda of the Azerbaijani COP presidency. The day underscored the essential role of IP and LCs in safeguarding 80% of …

The West-Wide Government Pathways Initiative Launch Committee today approved its Proposal to create a more robust western energy market.

Proposal would protect people from air pollution linked to premature deaths and other serious health problems.

Statement from Andy Darrell, Senior Advisor, Environmental Defense Fund

A new consensus on forests from the world’s leading carbon market governing body marks a significant turning point for voluntary carbon market buyers.

A new report from South Coast Air Quality Management District shows the District’s groundbreaking warehouse Indirect Source Rule is catalyzing hundreds of zero-emission truck acquisitions and, as result, reducing hundreds of tons of health-harming nitrogen oxide and small particulate matter pollution. The report, which charts compliance with the Indirect Source Rule from 2021 through 2023,

In Addition to Other Serious Allegations, Gaetz Introduced Legislation to Abolish EPA

New report highlights policy lessons for Florida to stabilize insurance markets, protect communities, and build resilience against growing climate risks.

This blog was authored by Christopher Dekki, Manager, Global Engagement and Partnerships. Hopefully, COP29 delegates savored every moment of the rest day here in Baku because week 2 is already off to a hectic start. As deep divides within the negotiations remain unbridged, Azerbaijan, the newly minted COP29 Presidency, will need to increase its efforts …

Statement of EDF Executive Director Amanda Leland