Complete list of press releases

Today, the Sediment Diversion Operations Expert Working Group – a team of leading scientists and community experts with decades of experience working in coastal Louisiana – released key recommendations for operating Mississippi River sediment diversions to most effectively build and maintain land while considering the needs of communities, wildlife and fisheries.

Sediment diversions are engineering structures consisting of gates and channels that will be built into Mississippi River levees to allow fresh river water, sediment and other nutrients to flow into wetlands to help build and sustain land. These manmade diversions will mimic the natural processes that originally built the land of coastal Louisiana. Lessons learned in Louisiana about how to use nature to rebuild land and protect coastal communities can be applied to other regions facing similar risks of coastal erosion, rising seas and increased storms.

The state of Louisiana is advancing two diversion projects south of New Orleans toward construction in 2020. Both the Mid Barataria and Mid Breton sediment diversions are included in the state’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan, which was unanimously approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The Sediment Diversion Operations Expert Working Group, noting that how a sediment diversion is operated will be critical to its overall success, released their independent recommendations with the goal of informing the state as it starts to develop operations plans for these sediment diversions.

The team of 12 experts serving on the Sediment Diversion Operations Expert Working Group issued its recommendations after eight months of analysis and discussion, which included collaboration with more than 40 additional specialists on issues ranging from wetland health to socio-economic effects. In their report, the group recommends operating diversions to take full advantage of winter flood peaks and to target the rising flow of the spring flood peaks, establishing robust monitoring programs as well as flexibility to modify operations rapidly as conditions change, and maintaining transparent and open communications with communities and industries that could be affected by diversions.

“These carefully researched recommendations provide an opportunity to maximize the tremendous land-building potential of sediment diversions, while seeking to protect Louisiana’s abundant natural resources,” said Natalie Peyronnin, Director of Science Policy with Environmental Defense Fund, who acted as facilitator for the working group.

Key recommendations include:

• Sediment diversions should be operated on a pulse that mimics the natural flood cycle of the Mississippi River, which includes taking full advantage of winter flood peaks from November through February when the greatest concentration of sediment is available in the river to sustain the coastal wetlands, as well as operating in the spring when sand needed for building land is at its highest.

• Operations plans should include robust monitoring and flexibility for adjustments based on rapidly changing conditions, such as hurricanes and other events.

• Diversions should be opened gradually over a 5-10 year period to help develop distributary channel networks, reduce flooding risks, and allow plants, fish, and wildlife species to adjust to new conditions.

• Local communities, industries and others that will be affected by diversions must be consulted and kept informed throughout all phases of diversion development and operations. Genuine attempts to mitigate socio-economic effects without compromising the effectiveness of the diversion are critical.

• A clear governance structure should be established to determine roles and responsibilities of all parties and to establish a transparent decision-making process for diversion operations.

Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost nearly 1,900 square miles of land, or a football field of land every hour, primarily due to leveeing of the river for flood control and navigation. In the midst of this ongoing land loss crisis, sediment diversions are vital restoration tools needed to build and sustain coastal wetlands. These wetlands are crucial for protecting communities and industries from the effects of storms and rising seas as well as providing habitat for birds and wildlife.

For more information: Visit MississippiRiverDelta.org/DiversionOpsReport

The Sediment Diversion Operations Expert Working Group is a body of independent scientists and experts formed by Environmental Defense Fund, in coordination with Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition partners, which include non-government groups with long histories of working on the Louisiana coast. The group developed and shared operational recommendations with Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, other state and federal agencies, the larger scientific community, and communities and businesses with a stake in the operation of diversions.

(COTTONWOOD, AZ – July 21, 2016) A new water conservation program aimed at protecting the free-flowing waters of the Verde River officially kicks off Thursday, July 21, 2016 in Cottonwood, AZ. The Verde River Exchange Water Offset Program, or “Verde River Exchange” for short, is a collaborative effort among Friends of Verde River Greenway (FVRG) and a diverse group of partners. The program connects Verde Valley homes and businesses willing to temporarily reduce their water usage – or potential credit “sellers” – with groundwater users seeking to reduce the impacts of their continuing use – or potential “buyers.” Two area vineyards – Merkin Vineyards and Page Spring Vineyards – and a local family are piloting the program in its inaugural year.

Although groundwater makes up almost half of Arizona’s water supply, research shows water levels are dropping in many parts of the state. Currently 35 percent of Arizona river miles that once flowed freely year-round no longer do. The Verde River also faces long-term threats from increased dependence on groundwater pumping.

“As the population grows, so does the demand for water. There are few tools for communities to manage its use, and so we believe the Verde River Exchange is launching at an opportune time,” said Chip Norton, president of Friends of Verde River Greenway, the not-for-profit responsible for launching the Verde River Exchange.

The Verde River Exchange offers groundwater users an avenue to reduce impacts to the Verde River by allowing them to purchase offset “credits.” Willing water users, or “sellers,” voluntarily agree to refrain from using a certain quantity of water for a defined period of time, and the reduction is translated into a Water Offset Credit. “Buyers” who wish to reduce their “water footprint” pay for the Water Offset Credit generated by the seller. The Verde River Exchange matches these buyers and sellers, and in so doing creates a voluntary mitigation program for Verde Valley water.

In the program’s inaugural pilot projects, Page Springs Vineyards and Merkin Vineyards have each agreed to purchase Water Offset Credits in 2016, offsetting the impact of groundwater use associated with almost 10 acres of vineyard. “Wine has always been, for me, a liquid landscape and a way of expressing the earth,” said Eric Glomski, owner and winemaker at Page Springs Cellars and Vineyards. “In the big picture, the river to me is a gigantic indicator and metaphor for the condition of our landscape and our relationship to it.”

“(The Verde Valley) is an oasis in the middle of the desert,” said James Keenan of Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards. “We’ve already shown the undeniable economic impact of the wine industry on Arizona. I hope to raise awareness of our grape growing efforts and to show that this industry is extremely sustainable in terms of long term water conservation.”

The program was developed in partnership with and funded by The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, Walton Family Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund and Bonneville Environmental Foundation. FVRG serves as the administrator of the program, with the guidance of a local advisory council.

“We are delighted to be working with so many good partners, and with Verde Valley landowners and businesses who have stepped up to be leaders in shared stewardship of the watershed,” said Kim Schonek of The Nature Conservancy’s Arizona chapter.

“Verde Valley residents are working together in extraordinary ways to craft a local solution that helps sustain the Verde River,” said Kevin Moran, EDF Senior Director for Western Water. “This is a great example of a region developing solutions that reward progress toward sustainability, and we are very pleased to support this community-driven effort.”

“If nothing is done, area water levels and river flows will potentially continue to decline,” said Jocelyn Gibbon, a key organizer of the Verde River Exchange and principal of Freshwater Policy Consulting, an organization that provides support to organizations interested in water and natural resource policy and sustainability. “As a community, we have the potential to shift this outcome, preserve a flowing river and protect water supplies, while still promoting sustainable economic development. We are so excited to be working with community leaders on this project.”

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 19, 2016) The Obama Administration announced a suite of enabling actions and reforms today aimed at ensuring every American household has access to clean and affordable energy. The “Clean Energy for All” initiative sets a bold goal of bringing 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar to low- and moderate-income families by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, the initiative takes a comprehensive approach, including opening up new investment channels, scaling up best practices and innovation, supporting clean energy job creation, and empowering local community leaders, housing agencies, rural cooperatives, and others implementing energy efficiency and community solar projects.

Clean Energy for All will coordinate efforts from a number of federal agencies, remove policy barriers and further unlock the impact of transformative programs like property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, and open up new pathways for investment in low- and moderate-income communities.  

“Much too often, working families in this country are forced to decide between paying for groceries and keeping the lights on. Today’s announcement casts a direct spotlight on the need to ensure all American families can access clean and affordable energy so they are no longer burdened with bills they can’t afford, and live in safe, healthy, and efficient homes and communities.

“Most critically, the announcement highlights a broad coalition of state and local actors that are pioneering energy innovation. Using the power of partnerships is critical to leveraging these new sources of capital in the most impactful and sustainable manner so all Americans can participate in the new, clean energy economy.” 

• Jayant Kairam, Director, Partnerships, Urban and Rural Strategic Implementation

North Dakota has filed a legal challenge seeking to obstruct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vital public health and environmental protections to reduce methane and smog-forming pollution from the oil and gas industry.

The State of North Dakota is challenging the new clean air safeguards, which will reduce wasteful and dangerous methane emissions from the nation’s largest industrial source of those emissions. North Dakota petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

“Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. These standards will reduce methane emissions and will likewise help minimize harmful pollutants that contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog,” said Peter Zalzal, Lead Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “The standards are firmly grounded in the law and science and we look forward to vigorously defending them in court.”

Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas, and a common byproduct of oil production. It has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20 year timeframe.

The oil and gas industry currently pumps nearly 10 million metric tons of methane into the air each year from leaks and other releases. That wasted gas is worth almost $2 billion, and is enough to supply seven million American homes.

The new standards were finalized in June after detailed scientific and legal review and an extensive public comment period. They are based on leading programs in Colorado, Wyoming and Ohio. The standards constitute one of the most cost-effective opportunities we have today to slow the pace of climate change.

The standards will have the same 20-year climate benefit as closing 11 coal-fired power plants or taking 8.5 million cars off the road. EPA estimates they will eliminate 210,000 tons of volatile organic compounds and 3,900 tons of air toxics a year by 2025, and will deliver annual climate benefits of $690 million.

The standards have won wide support among Americans. More than 800,000 people, including business, religious, environmental, health, and community leaders have weighed in supporting these vital protections.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) today officially launched a mid-term review for America’s Clean Car Standards – the historic effort to double the fuel efficiency of our cars and passenger trucks, reduce our dependence on imported oil, reduce pollution, and save families money at the gas pump.

The review kicked off with today’s release of a Draft Technical Assessment Report, which documents that our nation is well on its way to achieving these standards through advances in technology at low cost.

“America’s Clean Car standards are already revving up a stronger economy and putting the brakes on dangerous climate pollution. The Clean Car standards are delivering vital public health, environmental and economic benefits to our country now, and the innovative technologies that are being developed every day will help us continue to meet our goals,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “Addressing the threat of climate change is the race of our lives, and we can’t win the race unless we’re driving the cleanest possible cars. We must keep the standards strong, and all Americans must continue to work together to forge common sense solutions for our environment and our economy.”

In 2012, EPA and NHTSA jointly finalized national greenhouse gas reduction and fuel efficiency standards for new cars and passenger trucks for model years 2017 to 2025. The overall U.S. clean car program is expected to double the average fuel economy of the nation’s fleet of cars and light trucks. The current standards built on the first phase of standards adopted earlier for model years 2012 to 2016. The historic program won broad support from automakers, the United Auto Workers union, small businesses, consumers, national security groups, economists, and health and environmental groups including EDF.

As part of the rulemaking establishing the second phase Clean Car standards, EPA and NHTSA are now conducting a mid-term review. Policymakers will consider feedback from industry and the public and then decide whether to adjust target goals for model year 2022 to 2025 vehicles. The process began with today’s release of the Draft Technical Assessment Report. Next there will be a public comment period to elicit public input.

Today’s cars and passenger trucks account for about 40 percent of all U.S. oil consumption and almost 20 percent of all U.S. climate pollution. According to EPA, if we protect the current strong goals for the standards, the nation’s overall Clean Car program will deliver the following benefits:

• Consumers will save $1.7 trillion at the pump over the life of the program
• Families that buy a new car in 2025 will save $8,000 in fuel costs over the life of the car
• We’ll reduce our oil use by 12 billion barrels over the life of the program
• By 2025 we’ll see oil savings of two million barrels per day – almost half of what we now import daily from OPEC
• We’ll eliminate six billion metric tons of climate pollution
• We’ll almost double our fuel economy performance by 2025

Many of America’s most popular cars and trucks are already meeting the goals of the Clean Car standards. Here are some success stories:

According to the Consumer Federation of America, model year 2016 is the third year in a row in which more than half of all passenger car and truck models offered for sale in the United States meet or beat the national standards. (Automakers must meet fuel-efficiency requirements on an average basis across fleets and vehicle classes, so some models can be below the standard as long as others exceed them)

• The Ford-150, the most popular passenger truck in the U.S., has models that already meet standards for 2021, as do the Toyota Rav4, Chevy Malibu hybrid and Chevy Cruze. The 2014 Toyota Highlander meets standards for 2020.
• Each Ford-150 bought in 2015 will use about 180 fewer gallons of gas a year than in the absence of the standards, and will save its owner eight trips to the gas station and $300 to $700 per year, depending on the price of fuel.
• The Honda Civic and the Scion iA already meet 2023 standards.
• The Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Spark and Smart ForTwo meet standards for 2025.
• Every Mazda model now meets or beats the fuel efficiency target for its vehicle class, a first-ever achievement for an automaker that relies on internal combustion engines.
• The 2016 Toyota Prius gets 52 miles to the gallon – which means it goes farther on a gallon of gasoline than any other vehicle.

You can find more about the Clean Car standards on EDF’s website.

(NEW YORK – July 14, 2016) The Long Island Power Authority is considering approving next Wednesday the largest offshore wind farm in the U.S. When complete, the proposed 90-megawatt, 15-turbine wind farm will produce enough energy to power approximately 50,000 homes.

“Time and again, New York has demonstrated remarkable clean energy leadership. By taking wind power to new heights, the Long Island Power Authority will further solidify the Empire State as a clean energy pioneer, resulting in climate benefits and healthier air for generations to come.”

• Marc Rauch, Acting New York Director, Clean Energy

• Train ag retailers in Nebraska on how to engage growers in tools, technologies and practices for fertilizer optimization and improved soil health – without sacrificing yield.
• Communicate to growers about the value of the SUSTAIN Platform and other sustainability programming for growers and the environment.
• Help Kellogg achieve its sustainable sourcing goals for water quality, soil, and climate outcomes through expansion of the SUSTAIN Platform in the company’s sourcing regions.
• Document the impacts this collaboration has on-the-ground through a strong data collection toolkit.
• Expand the reach of the SUSTAIN Platform in the Nebraska to help United Suppliers meet its goal of 10 million acres enrolled in SUSTAIN by 2020.
• Help improve farmer resilience and economic outcomes through sustainability improvements that ensure efficient use of inputs, water management, and sustained yields.

“Since fertilizer loss to the environment is a major challenge for water quality and climate stability, it is crucial that we find effective means to help growers optimize their fertilizer use while staying productive,” noted Suzy Friedman, senior director of agricultural sustainability at EDF. “Approximately 80 percent of growers turn most often to agricultural retailers to influence their fertilizer decisions, so Kellogg’s support of the SUSTAIN Platform helps bring agricultural sustainability to scale.”

Longer-term, the collaboration will expand beyond Nebraska into other Kellogg sourcing regions and relevant geographies across North America.

“Environmental Defense Fund rarely speaks out on issues not directly related to our work. But since our work is dedicated to building a world in which people and nature can thrive together, we cannot stay silent in the face of the injustice that is robbing so many Americans of the chance to thrive.

“We deplore the police killings of innocent black people in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and elsewhere, and the killings of law enforcement officers gunned down while protecting peaceful protesters in Dallas — in other words, while doing precisely what police officers are supposed to do. 

“We believe that black lives matter, and we join the urgent and rising call for justice. Too many African Americans are fearful — for their children, for their fathers, for themselves — when they leave their homes. And so we will seek solutions and we will work, in all of the communities around the world where we engage, to be the change we wish to see.”

          —  Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

The Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe is launching its new Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ (IREE) certification today. This new certification for commercial and multifamily residential buildings is awarded to retrofit projects that follow ICP’s framework, and provides investors with more confidence in financial and environmental results.

“We need to harness the power of the market to turn energy efficiency into a true asset – cutting pollution, increasing economic productivity and bringing solid returns to investors,” said the Right Honourable Lord Barker of Battle, former UK Minister of State for the Department of Energy & Climate Change, who serves on the Environmental Defense Fund Europe board. “By standardising energy efficiency projects, ICP has the potential to connect investors with one of the most effective ways to achieve environmental results.”

ICP Europe is a sister project of the Investor Confidence Project launched five years ago in the United States by Environmental Defense Fund, and funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, to standardise energy efficiency upgrades using rigorous measurement and verification metrics in a way that makes them more attractive to investors and building owners alike.

The investor-ready certification signals to investors that a building retrofit project meets industry best practices at each step of the building retrofit process, from project inception to measurement and verification. ICP’s investor-ready certification leverages best practices that reduce transaction costs and help ensure projects achieve the desired savings.

A National Health Service (NHS) retrofit project at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, announced today, is the first in Europe to use ICP’s investor-ready certification. The £13-million project was developed by the Carbon and Energy Fund with financing from Macquarie Group.

“This is a landmark deal in energy efficiency financing,” said David Mackey at the Carbon and Energy Fund. “We have £100 million worth of projects in the pipeline which will be Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™-certified – a clear signal to the market that we are open for business.”

As it expands, ICP’s investor-ready certification could point the way toward mass-scale financing of energy efficiency in the building sector – where €100 billion per year is needed to reach the EU’s 2020 energy efficiency target. By providing at-a-glance branding for building retrofit projects, this new certification has the potential to help unlock tens of billions of dollars in energy efficiency investments. By working collaboratively with other innovative government, utility and private sector programs, like property-assessed clean energy financing and “pay-for-performance,” ICP will help ensure that energy efficiency delivers on its promise.

“We’ve long known energy efficiency is the one of the cheapest, fastest ways to cut pollution and save customers money”, said Panama Bartholomy, project director for ICP Europe. “Now ICP’s new certification will help unleash this untapped investment opportunity by increasing trust in predicted outcomes and providing a standardization framework for aggregating projects into larger investment portfolios. This is a win-win for investors, building owners, and the tens of thousands of project developers who are working to bring energy efficiency to market.”

ICP Europe’s Ally Network of about 150 market leaders includes the Building Owners’ & Managers Association, Siemens, ARUP, E.On, World Green Building Council, and the Building Performance Institute Europe. The recently launched Investor Network has brought together investors with €1 billion in assets under management looking for energy efficiency opportunities. ICP recently received the prestigious Finance for Resilience (FiRe) award presented by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Interested parties are invited to contribute to ICP Europe’s efforts through the Technical Forum and help make energy efficiency a global asset class by joining the ICP Europe Ally Network.

###

Investor Confidence Project Europe aims to enable a marketplace for building owners, project developers, utilities, public programmes, and investors to trade in standardised energy efficiency projects. Click here for more information or connect with us on Twitter @icpeurope.

Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our Energy Exchange blog. 

A consortium of three National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in Liverpool is the first in Europe to receive the newly launched Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ (IREE) certification. Launched today by Environmental Defense Fund’s Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe, and funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, the IREE certification for commercial and multifamily residential buildings is granted to projects that follow ICP’s framework, and provides investors with more confidence in financial and environmental results.

“Liverpool has always been a place of trade and innovation, and we at Liverpool Women’s Hospital are proud to honour that heritage. By pioneering ICP’s new investor-ready certification in Europe, we are showing that that we can take climate action that is good for our people and good for business,” said John Foley, Environmental Manager at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

The £13-million project developed by the Carbon and Energy Fund, with financing from Macquarie Group, will improve the energy and carbon performance of three hospitals: Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, and The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, resulting in annual savings of £1.85 million, with an average energy saving of 50% and an average carbon saving of 33% annually.

“This is a landmark deal in energy efficiency financing. This new certification promises to help unlock the European retrofit market,” says David Mackey at the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF), who developed the project. “We have £100 million worth of projects in the pipeline that will be certified – a clear signal to the market we are open for business.”

Project investors Macquarie Group stated, “Macquarie is pleased to support the NHS energy efficiency upgrade project in Liverpool.  We look forward to financing future energy efficiency projects as the UK transitions to a clean, low-carbon economy.”

The energy efficiency market already employs more than around 136,000 people in the UK, is worth more than £18 billion annually, and delivers exports valued at nearly £1.9 billion per year.  

“The Liverpool Energy Collaboration scheme demonstrates a strong partnership approach for delivering low-carbon investment plans by the NHS. Working with the Investor Confidence Project, the Carbon and Energy Fund and Macquarie Bank, these three trusts have come together to deliver innovative energy efficiency solutions that will reduce the operational revenue costs of each trust, alongside delivering environmental benefits in a cost effective way,” said Peter Sellars, NHS Estates Head of Profession.

As it expands, ICP’s Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ certification could point the way toward mass-scale financing of energy efficiency in the building sector – where €100 billion per year is needed to reach the EU’s 2020 energy efficiency target. By providing at-a-glance branding for building retrofit projects, this new certification has the potential to help unlock tens of billions of dollars in energy efficiency investments. By working collaboratively with other innovative government, utility and private sector programs, like property-assessed clean energy financing and “pay-for-performance,” ICP will help ensure that energy efficiency delivers on its promise.

ICP Europe’s Ally Network of about 150 market leaders includes the Building Owners’ & Managers Association, Siemens, ARUP, E.On, World Green Building Council, and the Building Performance Institute Europe. The recently launched Investor Network has brought together investors with €1 billion in assets under management looking for energy efficiency opportunities. ICP recently received the prestigious Finance for Resilience (FiRe) award presented by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Interested parties are invited to contribute to ICP Europe’s efforts through the Technical Forum and help make energy efficiency a global asset class by joining the ICP Europe Ally Network.

###

 Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our Energy Exchange blog. 

Investor Confidence Project Europe aims to enable a marketplace for building owners, project developers, utilities, public programmes, and investors to trade in standardised energy efficiency projects. Click here for more information or connect with us on Twitter @icpeurope.

The Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) has been specifically created by the Department of Health to procure, fund, facilitate and project manage complex energy infrastructure upgrades for the NHS and now the wider Public Sector. Connect with us at www.carbonandenergyfund.net.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

At the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa today, U.S. President Barack Obama joined with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to announce a set of energy and environmental agreements that will put the three countries on a unified course toward cleaner energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The three leaders say they plan to get half the continent’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2025. All three countries also pledged to cut emissions of methane – an extremely potent greenhouse gas – from their oil and gas industries 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 and to introduce regulations limiting both new and existing methane sources as soon as possible, and to explore opportunities to reduce emissions beyond the stated target.

They also affirmed their strong commitment to securing agreement this year in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on a market-based measure to cap carbon pollution from international aviation, one of the fastest-growing sources of global emissions. In addition, they pledged to harmonized fuel economy regulations and phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.  

Remarks by EDF President Fred Krupp:

“These agreements reflect an unprecedented alignment among the three countries, with Mexico showing clear leadership in expanding on US-Canada methane action. Shared markets work best with shared standards. All three leaders deserve real credit for these actions and implementing them will be the true measure of success.

“Especially at a time when Europe is under strain, it is vital that North America’s leaders are moving together. They are showing the world that opening up a more unified energy market shaped by ambitious clean energy goals and strong environmental safeguards can be beneficial for both economies and communities.

“Cutting oil and gas methane pollution is one of the fastest, most cost effective ways to slow the rate of current warming, while we work toward a clean energy future. And we’ll get to that goal faster thanks to the three leaders agreeing to a strong target for clean power across all of North America.

“Mexico’s agreement to join the international aviation emissions program as soon as it takes effect in 2021 is especially important. An agreement on international aviation emissions could prevent an estimated eight billion tons of carbon pollution in the first twenty years, equal to more than five years of emissions from all the cars and trucks in the United States. This announcement sets the bar for leadership throughout the Americas on this critical issue.”

— Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund 

“We applaud the leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico for taking real climate action. Reducing oil and gas methane pollution by 40-45%  is an immediate opportunity to curb warming and we are glad to see Mexico now joining the U.S. and Canada, in making this a national goal.  And the joint commitment to obtain 50% of North American energy from zero-carbon energy resources to be announced on Wednesday is a turning point for the climate that will catalyze further global action.”

“It is heartening to see leaders and countries coming together to find common solutions to shared environmental challenges, and realizing the economic opportunities that partnerships can provide.”

                    - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – June 24, 2016) This morning, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a procedural order in the pending litigation over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) carbon pollution standards for new, modified, and reconstructed sources (State of North Dakota v. EPA, No. 15-1381).  

Today’s order adjusts the briefing schedule in the case. Briefing had previously been scheduled to begin on July 15, but today’s order adjusts that schedule to allow for the consolidation and efficient review of all legal challenges related to these standards. Motions to consolidate must now be filed by July 12, and motions to establish a new briefing schedule in the case must be filed by August 4. 

“We look forward to presenting the strong legal foundation for these common sense climate protections once a new briefing schedule is established,” said Tomas Carbonell, Director of Regulatory Policy and Lead Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund, which is a party to the case.

The carbon pollution standards for new, modified, and reconstructed sources establish the first nationwide limits on carbon pollution from new fossil fuel-fired power plants. They were finalized last October. EDF is also a party to litigation over the Clean Power Plan, which sets the first national standards for existing fossil-fuel fired power plants.

(RALEIGH, NC – June 23, 2016) – Today, the North Carolina Senate voted in favor of House Bill 593 Amend Environmental and Other Laws. Section 4 of this bill dramatically increases the amount of stream destruction allowable without offsetting mitigation, extending the threshold for mitigation from 150 to 300 feet of impact. The bill will now move to the North Carolina House for a vote in the coming weeks.

Will McDow, director of habitat markets at Environmental Defense Fund, issued the following statement:

“North Carolina’s rivers and streams are currently under attack on multiple fronts. HB593 adds to the growing threat our waterways face. I must remind our elected officials that healthy river and stream systems are essential for flood control, safe drinking water, reduced nutrient pollution, and vital habitat for birds, fish and other North Carolina wildlife. I sincerely hope that this bill is stopped by the North Carolina House.”

The following is a statement from Johanna Thomas, New England Regional Director of Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Program:

“NOAA’s announcement that it has found funding to cover at sea monitoring costs is good news for fishermen who otherwise would bear the costs. However, this is yet again only a temporary fix that does nothing to address the inadequacy of the monitoring program itself.  By not addressing the need for higher monitoring levels, these short-term actions continue to undermine chances for fish stock recovery and therefore for fishermen to be successful.

NOAA now monitors only 14 percent of ground fish trips - not enough to determine who is playing by the rules and inadequate to provide any usable information to scientists or regulators.

The New England groundfish fishery is in crisis. Congressional leaders have provided funds that could be used to implement real comprehensive monitoring of the industry. NOAA must immediately create a viable, robust monitoring program if we are going to save this important and iconic New England industry and way of life.”