Complete list of press releases

“There’s good news today from the U.S. Senate, which just voted 53 to 46 to confirm David Uhlmann as the head of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

“Uhlmann is incredibly well-qualified for the job. He has deep experience as a prosecutor at the Justice Department under Republican and Democratic administrations, where he earned a reputation for handling environmental violators firmly and fairly. He is dedicated to making sure that polluters are held accountable for their unlawful actions and that all Americans can count on EPA to keep them safe.

“Today’s bipartisan vote means we will have an outstanding leader in this critical job. I thank Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and all the Senators who voted for David Uhlmann.”

            - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(DENVER, CO) Today the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission unanimously adopted a new rule requiring direct measurement of methane emissions and demonstrating with real-world data that oil and gas operators are meeting emission reduction standards.  

The rule, which achieved consensus support from environmental advocates, local governments and industry, is a follow-up to the 2021 intensity standard adopted by the commission that required oil and gas operators to accurately account for their greenhouse gas emissions.  

“The Air Quality Control Commission has voted today to adopt the Air Pollution Control Division’s commonsense proposal to directly measure methane emissions in the field.” said Nini Gu, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, EDF. “While there is still important work ahead as the Division develops a scientifically robust program, this rule creates the necessary framework to evaluate whether the state is meeting its statutory methane targets and ensure that oil and gas operators comply with pollution reduction standards. Today’s vote shows Colorado’s continued leadership on oil and gas methane regulations, which is possible thanks to the Division’s commitment to bringing stakeholders to the table to find win-win solutions.”  

• Nini Gu, [Regulatory and Legislative Manager, EDF] 

WHY DIRECT MEASUREMENT MATTERS 

Colorado led the nation with the first oil and gas methane regulations established in 2014. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than CO2 in the near-term. Curbing this pollution from oil gas is the fastest, most cost-effective way to immediately slow the rate of warming as Colorado and other Mountain West states suffer from climate-fueled extreme weather events. 

The rule approved by the Commission today contains the following key points: 

• Requires the quantity of methane emissions at production sites to be directly measured, and the measurement data must be publicly reported.
• Empowers the Division with the authority and tools to ensure industry’s compliance.
• Establishes a public process for the development and continuous evaluation of a robust companion protocol by the Division. This protocol, to be finalized later in the year, is critical to the success of the program. It will ensure that the rule is correctly implemented, which improves the state’s ability to create an accurate greenhouse gas inventory based on real-world data.  

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources announced late Tuesday a set of proposed rules to address the issues of routine gas flaring and idled oil and gas wells at risk of becoming taxpayer liabilities.

Natural gas venting and flaring in Louisiana wasted $16 million worth of energy resources in 2019 alone – enough to meet the needs of the entire city of Baton Rouge for a year and a half. This waste costs the state valuable tax and royalty revenue while also contributing to local air pollution.

Louisiana also has over 28,000 oil and gas wells idling under the premise of “future utility,” which are at high risk of becoming orphaned. This would leave the state’s taxpayers with a $2.5 billion clean-up cost.

“Gov. Edwards and the Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation have taken a critical step to protect Louisiana taxpayers, create jobs across the state and safeguard the health of our families. Solutions to address waste from routine venting and flaring and prevent everyday Louisianans from footing the bill to clean up after industry are commonsense, cost-effective measures we can’t afford not to take.”

• Liz Russell, Louisiana State Director, Environmental Defense Fund

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

Venting and Flaring

Venting and flaring are a significant source of gas waste in Louisiana. Recent analysis finds that in 2019 these practices wasted $16 million worth of energy resources. Oil and gas operators avoid paying taxes and royalties on wasted gas, so taxpayers, federal and state governments lose revenue when natural gas is vented or flared.  Because the primary component of natural gas is methane, a super potent greenhouse gas, slowing the rate of climate change is an important co-benefit of preventing waste from venting and flaring.

Stopping waste from venting and flaring is overwhelmingly cost-effective and can help create jobs in the fast-growing methane mitigation industry, which already boasts 32 facilities across the state.

Louisiana’s proposed action on routine venting and flaring is another example of state leadership on methane waste. Other energy states, including Colorado and New Mexico, have already taken action to end waste from routine flaring and demonstrate that it can be done affordably and effectively.

Idle Wells

Louisiana has over 28,000 inactive “idle” oil and gas wells. These are wells that aren’t actively producing but also haven’t been permanently sealed and represent a $2.5 billion taxpayer liability if they become “orphaned” – meaning that they are inactive, unplugged and have no solvent owner of record.

Poorly regulated idled wells pose a serious health risk to the communities forced to live with them given the risk of soil and groundwater contamination, toxic air emissions and reduced property values. Many of these wells have been idle for decades – and the longer that a well remains idled the higher its chance of eventually becoming orphaned.Requiring the oil and gas industry to take responsibility for properly retiring its assets by plugging inactive wells would create thousands of good-paying jobs for Louisianans and leverage skill sets already held by working people in the state.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Appropriations Committee today completed its markup of a funding bill that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget to dangerously low levels. The proposed cut of 39% would reduce the agency’s funding to its lowest level since 1991. The Republicans' proposal includes unprecedented cuts to numerous programs designed to combat climate pollution and protect public health. It could soon head to the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration.

“President Biden’s historic clean energy plan investments lay the foundation for building a clean energy future that will reduce harmful pollution, improve our health, make us more energy secure, reduce energy bills, create jobs and heal the planet,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s senior vice president for political affairs. “We’re already seeing significant benefits across the U.S. We cannot allow Republican leadership to interfere with this progress.

“Republicans’ proposed budget would eliminate or roll back popular programs and investments that are lowering household energy costs and cutting climate pollution. It makes no sense. Every state is poised to gain clean-energy jobs, and some of the politicians touting the jobs created by these investments are the ones looking to take away funding.”

Republicans’ budget proposal eliminates funding for advancing justice in communities that bear the brunt of legacy pollution and climate change. It also includes poison pill policy riders that slow down climate progress, block clean energy measures and undermine clean water.

The extreme Republican appropriations bill, which falls outside of the negotiated debt limit deal, proposes significant cuts from President Biden’s historic clean energy plan investments, hampering implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The bill aims to remove $7.8 billion from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which creates jobs and supports historic investments for low-income and overburdened communities, and $1.4 billion to address environmental health impacts in communities overburdened by pollution. The proposal also aims to cut funding for toxic chemical review programs by an alarming 15%, undermining a critical public health program.

(CHICAGO, IL) One year after launching one of the first farm financing programs in the United States that rewards environmental stewardship, Environmental Defense Fund and Farmers Business Network today announced that 83% of participating farmers who completed program requirements met environmental standards for fertilizer efficiency and soil health practices, while also meeting or exceeding national crop yield benchmarks. Farmers who met the standards received a 0.5% interest rate rebate.  

The $25-million pilot of FBN’s Regenerative Agriculture Financing program, or RAF, was quickly oversubscribed with 48 grain farmers enrolled across 18 states. The company doubled the program to $50 million in operating lines for the 2023 growing season and anticipates originating up to $1 billion in climate-smart operating loans over the next five years. 

“This loan demonstrates an investment approach that has the potential to be scaled to millions of acres and replicated by the wider agricultural finance sector,” said Maggie Monast, senior director for Climate-Smart Agriculture at EDF. “The first-year results show the value of linking environmental performance, financial rewards and robust scientific measurement. It’s a win for farmers, investors and the planet.” 

“With a technology-enabled pathway for credit approval, loan services and conservation practice verification, the Regenerative Agriculture Financing program was the fastest-selling financial product ever launched by Farmers Business Network. It also provides a new way for farmers to achieve sustainability and profitability goals simultaneously," said Devin Lammers, president of Farmers Business Network Financial. "Innovations like the Regenerative Agriculture Financing program paint a picture of how the future of production agriculture could look for farmers and their financial service providers." 

By aligning farm financing with regenerative farming practices, RAF is paving the way for a sustainable future for farmers and the environment. Additional highlights from the pilot year include:  

• Data was collected from 42,000 acres, and RAF farmers achieved average crop yields equal to or greater than national averages for corn, soybeans and wheat. 
• Both farmers who are early adopters and new adopters of regenerative practices were eligible to participate.  
• Farmers who secured the rebate demonstrated that they applied nitrogen at levels that minimize risk of loss to the air and water. Over the next three years, EDF and FBN will use aggregated farm-level nitrogen data to calculate changes in nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, and nitrate, a prevalent water contaminant, across the RAF portfolio. 

The report also includes farmer experiences with the program. 

Rusty Olson, a crop farmer running a diverse operation in Garner, Iowa, states, “The process to apply for the RAF program was straightforward and simple. I’m also a numbers guy, so I appreciate being able to immediately see that I’m saving money. The RAF program makes it clear to see the financial benefits.” 

A global survey conducted by EDF and Deloitte in 2022 revealed that 59% of agricultural lenders expect climate change-driven business opportunities, including increased demand for new financial products and services. The success of the RAF program’s pilot year is further evidence of farmer demand for such financial products linked to environmental performance.   

For more information, see our new report.

Governor Katie Hobbs announced that Arizona has joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors committed to reducing climate pollution in line with national goals: at least a 26-28% reduction by 2025 and 50-52% reduction by 2030. The announcement arrives as a new EDF analysis underscores the power of state climate leadership on a national scale, finding that states with climate commitments can cut the remaining gap to the U.S. 2030 target by nearly half, if they achieve their own targets.

“As the realities of a warmer, drier climate bear down on Arizonans, Governor Hobbs is taking a critical step to secure a stronger future for our communities. Now, Governor Hobbs and state leaders must work to deliver on these promises to Arizonans by adopting strong climate policies that limit pollution to safer levels while at the same time fueling a robust clean energy economy. We applaud the governor for her resolve in the face of the climate crisis.

“Luckily, the opportunity for action has never been greater. Arizona leaders can leverage billions in game-changing federal investments to adopt policies that will improve our health, unleash clean energy jobs and drive our nation’s climate progress forward. Already, the Governor’s Resiliency Office is working to maximize these funding opportunities and bring these dollars to Arizona where they can unlock the state’s full clean energy potential.

“At the same time, we need Arizona leaders to translate these commitments into binding requirements. As Nevada’s recent rollback on its targets underscores, we can’t afford to leave life-saving climate action to the whims of politics. Arizona must remain steadfast in its commitment – Arizonans deserve nothing less.”

• Kevin Moran, Associate Vice President, Regional Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, DC July 17, 2023) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Below the Blue, and Clean Water Action submitted a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan today, calling on the agency to investigate the uncontrolled release of lead by more than 2,000 lead-sheathed telecom cables into water or surface soil across the nation. More than 300 of these cables are posing a threat to community drinking water sources. 

“EPA must prioritize the immediate removal of lead-sheathed cables accessible to children or strung overhead between telephone poles,” said Tom Neltner, senior director for safer chemicals at EDF. “These cables pose the greatest exposure risk to lead, and they can be easily fixed. For the underwater cables, EPA should assess the risk, prioritizing those in sources of water protected for drinking.” 

In an investigative series published last week, the Wall Street Journal  brought to national attention the existence of abandoned lead cables that are present across the country. It was revealed that many of these abandoned cables run through or under rivers, streams, and lakes that serve as sources of drinking water for communities – as well as through neighborhoods, playgrounds, and greenways where children may be exposed to them. 

Lead is particularly harmful to children; exposure to the metal can result in permanent neurological damage. Just last week, EPA made clear that “there is no safe level of lead” and “even low levels are detrimental to children’s health.” 

Test results on soil, water samples  

Funded by EDF, Marine Taxonomic Services, Ltd. (MTS) accompanied the Journal’s reporters on site visits to collect samples and help locate lead cables in the field. EDF has made the MTS report on its work, including photos, available to the public on EDF’s website. 

The results of lab tests of soil and water samples varied – from no detectable lead to an astounding lead level of 38,000 parts per billion from a single sample of water from Lake Tahoe. As the risk from these cables is unclear, EDF, Below the Blue, and Clean Water Action call on EPA to determine the potential risk to public health that the cables may pose. 

These cables, which were installed between the 1880s and 1960s, consist of lead pipes with copper wires inside and asphalt coating on the outside. Many were abandoned in place when they failed or became unnecessary, but when deserted, the open ends of those bundles were exposed—leaving the lead open to soil and water. Without EPA intervention, we expect that the risk posed by the cables will increase as they deteriorate further and release lead into the environment. 

"We have personally visited over 300 sites with lead-sheathed cables in communities across America,” said Seth Jones, co-founder of Below the Blue and President of MTS. “Research suggests that there are potentially thousands of other abandoned cables across the country. Given the number of cables identified across nine states, this is not a situation that can be addressed locally. We all need to know how big a problem this truly is for our country." 

Lynn Thorp, national campaigns director at Clean Water Action, reviewed the findings and joined the call for EPA action. She said, “With communities nationwide grappling with the legacy of lead service lines in drinking water systems, it’s imperative that EPA act expeditiously to address these uncontrolled risks to drinking water sources and to prevent unnecessary additional lead exposures from any source.” 

About the Lead Cable Investigation 

The Wall Street Journal  reached out to EDF to learn more about the risk of lead cables in lakes, rivers, and streams around the country. EDF learned of Below the Blue and talked with its cofounders, who also work at Marine Taxonomic Services, Ltd. (MTS). EDF agreed to provide guidance, assistance, and funding to MTS to help identify cables and conduct sampling. EDF’s goal was to understand the extent to which lead-sheathed cables pose a public health risk, especially to drinking water sources, that may need to be addressed. Consistent with that goal, EDF provided guidance and technical assistance to MTS and the Wall Street Journal  when questions about lead arose. 

The Wall Street Journal  identified locations to investigate based on information collected from permitting data acquired through public-records request combined with a machine-learning algorithm of Google Street view images – and in many places where its reporters and MTS looked, they found lead cables. MTS collected the water, soil, sediment, and metal samples, and the Wall Street Journal  selected the laboratories and paid for the analyses. 

About the Organizations 

Below the Blue is a community-based, nonprofit organization based in Lake Tahoe. Its goal is to remove foreign debris from bodies of water, educate the public about pollution, and collect data that will help facilitate policy change and enforcement. It has been focused on lead-sheathed cables for more than five years. It works closely with a team of environmental lawyers, local agencies, and residents to help guide their work. Its co-founders are employed by MTS. 

Clean Water Action is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1972. It works at the national, state, and local levels to improve drinking water quality and protect drinking water sources, to reduce water pollution and toxic exposures, and to curb climate change and advance clean energy. 

One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s proposal would dangerously cut the EPA’s budget by 39%, which would fund EPA at its lowest level since 1991. The proposal includes unprecedented cuts to numerous programs protecting public health.

“The extreme Republican appropriations bill is threatening Americans’ health and well-being by proposing unprecedented cuts to critical clean energy programs,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s senior vice president for political affairs. “These cuts to popular public health and clean energy programs undermine important protections."

Republicans’ budget proposal unilaterally cuts all funding for environmental justice activities and includes at least 17 poison pill policy riders that fuel the climate crisis, block clean energy measures and undermine clean water.

The extreme Republican appropriations bill proposes cutting significantly from President Biden’s historic clean energy plan investments that are reducing harmful pollution, improving our health, making us more energy secure, reducing energy bills, creating jobs and healing the planet. The bill aims to cut $7.8 billion from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund which creates jobs and supports historic investments for low-income and disadvantaged communities, and another $1.4 billion intended to address environmental health impacts in underserved and overburdened communities.

(WASHINGTON – July 13, 2023) A new EDF report finds that if climate leadership states were to successfully meet their emissions targets, they would bring the entire country meaningfully closer to its national climate goals. The report, which analyzes data from Rhodium Group’s U.S. Climate Service and includes projected reductions from the Inflation Reduction Act, finds that states with climate commitments can shrink the nation’s remaining emissions gap to our 2030 target by 43% if they adopt ambitious and comprehensive policy to limit pollution at scale.

On their current path without additional policy action, these 23 states and Puerto Rico are collectively projected to reduce net emissions 20% to 23% below 2005 levels by 2025 and 27% to 39% below 2005 levels by 2030, well short of their commitments to reach at least a 26% reduction by 2025 and at least 50% by 2030.

“States have a leading role to play in driving U.S. climate progress, and our country is counting on them to deliver on their promises,” said Pam Kiely, Associate Vice President for U.S. Climate at Environmental Defense Fund. “There’s never been a better time for states to use the sharpest tools they have available—policies that directly limit climate pollution from major emissions sources—to ensure they will deliver on their commitments. Federal investments have made clean energy cheaper than ever before, giving governors a multi-billion-dollar opportunity to raise their climate ambition. Going further, faster to achieve their own goals can help realize the promise of our federal climate law and shrink the gap to our nation’s 2030 commitment. This is the golden opportunity for each state to slash health-harming air pollution, unleash clean energy jobs, lower energy costs, and do its part to secure a safer future for us all.”

The report looks at states that have committed to reduce their emissions in line with U.S. goals: at least a 26-28% reduction below 2005 levels by 2025 and 50-52% reduction below 2005 levels by 2030. These 23 states and Puerto Rico represent 41% of total U.S. emissions. To date, only 10 of these states have established mandatory economy-wide climate targets in state law.

In addition to analyzing states’ progress on emissions targets and potential impact on U.S. emission reductions, the report also estimates the cumulative impact of delaying ambitious action aligned with states’ targets. Because long-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for centuries, the cumulative build-up of these emissions over time will determine the severity of climate damages. The analysis finds that without further policy action, climate leadership states are projected to emit 28% more climate pollution between 2020 and 2030 than a path aligned with their science-based goals – overshooting the emissions “budget” by over 5 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

“Many states are already living the reality of climate change-fueled impacts, whether their communities are sheltering from wildfire smoke, sweltering in heat waves or dealing with damages from historic flooding,” said Kiely. “When the stakes are this high and the timeline is so urgent, every ton of heat-trapping pollution we emit matters. States can’t afford to kick policy down the road. They have committed to do their part to curb pollution as swiftly as possible this decade, and they have a responsibility to follow through and get on track.”

To meet their climate commitments, EDF makes several policy recommendations for state leaders:

• Set binding targets that achieve early and deep reductions: Mandatory targets that create an enforceable framework are key for reducing emissions at the pace and scale the climate crisis demands. Without mandatory targets, climate action could be stalled or rolled back by future state leaders.
• Use existing authority to limit pollution: Regardless of state legislative action on climate solutions, governors committing to concrete pollution reduction targets can leverage existing authority to enact regulations that lower climate pollution.
• Establish a declining, enforceable limit on emissions: A pollution limit – like Washington state’s economy-wide limit on emissions – is essential to provide a backstop for other complementary policies, guaranteeing the targeted emission cuts will be achieved, even if other policies fall short. Limits can be source-specific, sectoral, or cover multiple sectors of the economy.
• Pair pollution limits with policies that catalyze development and deployment of clean technologies: Enforceable limits on climate pollution can work hand-in-hand with measures needed to accelerate clean technology deployment, like clean energy mandates and electric vehicle incentives, while providing the greatest possible certainty that states will reach their climate targets.
• Ensure environmental and economic benefits are directed to disproportionately-impacted communities: Strategies for limiting climate pollution must be tailored to improve local pollution impacts and directly support clean energy deployment and economic benefits for the most overburdened and underserved populations.
• Consider an approach that puts a price on pollution: By pairing an enforceable pollution limit with a price on pollution, as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative does, states can secure the needed level of emission reductions, while creating a price signal that incentivizes investments in clean energy technologies.

Read the blog summary here and full report here.

A new report from Datu Research shows that methane measurement companies are ready to scale up with affordable, commercially available technology that will enable state and federal regulators to more accurately account for methane emissions. The industry is ready to grow and well-prepared to scale up to meet the nation’s methane monitoring needs. 

The report, titled Measuring Methane Emissions in the U.S. Oil & Gas Industry: Commercial Capabilities surveys companies across the methane mitigation industry and finds that many offer technology with the potential to meet clear detection thresholds crucial for accurate emissions. As decisionmakers across government and the private sector seek to assess and reduce emissions, these solutions will play a critical role. 

Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas responsible for more than 25% of today’s global warming. It is also the main component of natural gas and represents wasted product when released into the atmosphere. EDF estimates U.S. oil and gas companies emit upwards of 16 million metric tons of methane annually, representing $2 billion worth of wasted gas. 

“Methane emissions are a serious problem for our planet, and the methane measurement industry’s readiness to deploy solutions to accurately capture emissions shows that serious problems attract creative thinkers,” said Jon Goldstein, Senior Director of Regulatory & Legislative Affairs for Environmental Defense Fund. “Clear, scientifically robust standards for how oil and gas companies and regulators collect this data will increase transparency for the public, protect communities from pollution and help create jobs.” 

The solutions are here to support strong standards 

“The methane measurement industry is growing and diverse, with several companies poised to scale up commercially in anticipation of both regulatory and market forces,” said Marcy Lowe, CEO of Datu Research. “Companies are already deploying measurement technologies in all major basins of the U.S. This survey also demonstrates the lack of uniform standards that could create more certainty for the methane measurement industry and operators.” 

Several detection companies have already greatly improved their sensitivity crossed a crucial threshold by achieving a low minimum detection level, and the industry is still investing in new affordable technologies to scale up their commercial offerings.  

An upcoming rulemaking from Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission will determine the process for how oil and gas operators are required to monitor their methane emissions in the state. This rulemaking will determine what measurement practices will be required and provide signals to the methane measurement industry that will unleash growth. Consistent guidelines will be essential for the state to develop an accurate methane inventory and stay on track to meet its Greenhouse Gas Reduction goals. 

Nationally, the Environmental Protection Agency is currently updating its reporting requirements from oil and gas operators under the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The Inflation Reduction Act directed EPA to update the program to include empirically collected data and ensure the accuracy of total reported emissions. With cost-effective technologies already in place, the methane measurement industry is ready to deliver.  

Rapidly growing, ready to arrive 

In 2021, Datu Research released a report detailing the impressive expansion that the methane mitigation industry has already undertaken. Taken together, these two reports show us a rapidly growing industry ready to deploy cost-effective solutions to curb methane emissions. 

Delegates at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) today concluded negotiations to revise the United Nations agency’s Strategy on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships with an aspirational goal to reach net-zero emissions by, or around, the year 2050 on a full lifecycle basis. The IMO’s 80^th Marine Environment Protection Committee settled on emission reduction checkpoints of up to 30% by 2030 and up to 80% by 2040. Member States also set a timeline for the adoption of mid-term measures, such as a global fuel standard and a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism, to be designed in the next two years and come into force in 2027.

“The shipping sector must do its fair share in the global fight against climate change and dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels. We need to ensure that practical tools are developed in the next two years to do more to protect our ecosystems and communities – especially those at greater risk of health impacts and extreme weather – and spur a thriving maritime industry.”

• Fred Krupp, President

“Member States at the International Maritime Organization showed they are willing to steer the shipping sector towards a clean future, but the 2023 Strategy is not in line with the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. The intermediate checkpoints are not strong enough to deliver the necessary emissions reductions and the language around the deadline for phasing out emissions is ambiguous.

The next two years will be crucial for the United Nations agency to develop robust mechanisms to eliminate emissions from ships in a manner that protects the environment and communities, and that delivers rapid and effective decarbonisation beyond the ambition agreed upon today. Member States must work together to get the sector closer to aligning with the Paris Agreement, and to set the standard for other hard-to-abate sectors to follow.”

• Marie Cabbia Hubatova, Director, Global Shipping

Maritime shipping is central to the global supply chain with 90% of the world’s freight carried by ships that run on fossil fuels. If ranked as a country, the shipping sector would be the world’s 6^th largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. With the increasing demand to move goods, pollution from ships is expected to surge by nearly 50% in the next two decades and continue to rise, unless significant action is taken. Urgently phasing out emissions from shipping is critical to limit global warming in alignment with the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

(WASHINGTON) The Environmental Protection Agency today announced proposed updates to methane reporting requirements from oil and gas facilities under the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.

With the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress directed EPA to update the reporting program to include empirically collected data and to ensure the accuracy of total reported emissions. This is important to correct the well-documented problem of under-reporting and assess the waste charge established by the IRA’s Methane Emission Reduction Program based on actual amounts of pollution created by the industry.

“By directing EPA to update and strengthen methane emissions reporting, Congress recognized the vital importance of scientifically valid data to establish the true volume of pollution created by the oil and gas industry. We have not yet reviewed EPA’s proposal but look forward to carefully doing so and engaging with the agency and stakeholders to ensure final reporting protocols are scientifically rigorous, lead to accurate estimates of total emissions and leverage the best available measurement data”.

“To be effective, it is critically important that the program be based on the oil and gas industry’s real-world pollution impacts. Achieving an accurate picture of those emissions will require the use of top-down basin-level data alongside population-based data at smaller scales, statistical analysis that accounts for oft-overlooked intermittent emission events and guardrails to make sure company-reported data reflects what’s happening on the ground.”

• Dr. Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund

Additional Background:

The US Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which takes bold action to address the climate crisis. Multiple independent analyses show the law could reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, providing important support for President Biden’s goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030.

The IRA also created the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, which cuts methane from oil and gas operations through a charge on wasteful emissions and funding to help reduce pollution. MERP complements forthcoming EPA regulations requiring operators to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas sector.

Importantly, MERP includes language directing EPA to update Subpart W of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program to include empirically collected data and to ensure the accuracy of total reported emissions from oil and gas facilities.

EPA’s current method of quantifying methane emissions is based on emissions factors that don’t fully capture emissions based on today’s oil and gas industry production, practices and equipment. Numerous studies observe methane emissions are significantly higher than current EPA estimates. A comprehensive study released in 2018 found emissions to be 60% higher than EPA figures.

It is of vital importance that EPA update its reporting program in a scientifically grounded way to address the well-known problem of underreported emissions and to ensure that the MERP waste charge is assessed on the true volume of pollution created by the oil and gas industry.

Accomplishing this will require:

• Integrating top-down, basin-level data alongside site- and equipment-level measurement data. Top-down, basin-level data provides a full picture of total emissions in a region, while site-level, population-based measurement data can provide insights of emissions at a finer resolution, all of which strengthen the accuracy of reported emissions.
• Building in appropriate statistical analysis of measurement data to provide a representative assessment of pollution at the facility and basin levels. Measurement data requires statistical analysis to account for intermittent emission events that may be missed by individual, one-time measurements.
• Defining guardrails and requiring independent verification for self-reported measurements from companies to ensure any company reported data accurate represents operations and is not limited to unrepresentative sites or equipment known to have lower emissions.

(Washington, D.C. – July 6, 2023) Electric cars and passenger trucks will save their owners thousands of dollars over the next decade, and the network of chargers for electric vehicles will expand dramatically, according to two new reports from Environmental Defense Fund and WSP.

The reports were unveiled as part of EDF’s comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of the agency’s proposed performance-based, multi-pollutant emission standards for new cars and passenger trucks.

“The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the U.S. as well as a main source of other pollution, like particulate matter and smog-forming emissions, that puts people’s lives and health at risk,” said Alice Henderson, Director of Transportation and Clean Air Policy for EDF. “EPA’s proposed standards for new cars and passenger trucks are accelerating lower cost options and more choices for consumers while eliminating dangerous tailpipe pollution.”

EPA has proposed multi-pollutant emission standards for new light and medium-duty vehicles in model years 2027 and beyond and has been accepting public comments on that proposal.

EDF’s comments to EPA highlight the urgency of finalizing protective standards by the end of the year in order to ensure deep reductions in climate and air pollution and to improve the quality of life for all people across the country. EDF submitted new analytics and data supporting the feasibility of standards that achieve pollution reductions at least as great as those in EPA’s proposal. That feasibility builds from progress already underway thanks to manufacturer and fleet commitments, federal investments under the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that are driving down costs for consumers, and state policies. It also reflects the flexibility inherent in EPA’s performance-based standards, which can be met using a range of zero-emitting technologies and conventional engine and vehicle combinations and improvements. You can read EDF’s full comments here.

The two new reports were released by EDF and WSP. One looks at the comparative consumer costs of electric and gas-powered cars and passenger trucks, and the other looks at the availability of charging stations for electric vehicles.

The first report, Electric Vehicle Total Cost of Ownership Analysis July 2023, compared lifetime costs of owning and operating currently available or soon anticipated new electric vehicles with comparable gasoline vehicles over a decade – including the purchase costs of the cars and home chargers (for electric cars), and annual registration, maintenance, insurance and fuel costs.

The report found for these currently available or soon anticipated new vehicles:

• All of the studied electric vehicles, when purchased this year, are expected to be the same or less expensive to own and operate over their lifetime than the comparison gasoline vehicles.
• Electric vehicles will provide lifetime cost savings of up to $18,440. Those savings will increase over time as battery prices continue to fall and production increases.
• Electric vehicles currently have higher upfront purchase costs and insurance costs, but these are more than offset by fuel and maintenance cost savings. The upfront costs of new electric vehicles are also rapidly falling as battery costs fall, innovations advance, and more models are introduced for consumers to choose from.
• The analysis includes federal tax credits for electric vehicles. However, state tax credits – which can be thousands of additional dollars – are not included and would make electric vehicles even less expensive.

The report also compared rural and urban driving patterns and found that owning an electric vehicle is similar to or less expensive than a gas-powered vehicle in all scenarios.

The second report, U.S. Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Deployment, found a dramatic expansion and acceleration of investment in publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers across the U.S.

The report found:

• Since 2021, almost $22 billion in investments in chargers have been announced. That money will deploy more than 800,000 new charging ports by 2030.  
• Over the course of this decade, investments announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act will result in the deployment of almost five times as many chargers as we have now.
• The U.S. will have 70% of all the public chargers it needs by 2030 from just existing and already-announced deployment. We will have more than 100% of what we need when including unawarded grants and other less specific commitments.
• Concrete plans to deploy electric vehicle charging stations have already been announced by federal and state governments, retailers like Walmart and 7-11, auto manufacturers, toll road operators, utilities, truck stop operators, service station operators and fleet owners. These deployments will result in a nationwide expansion of our charging network, in all states and in both urban and rural communities.
• Walmart and General Motors have announced they will install charges at all of their U.S, retail locations. 90% of all Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart or a GM dealership.
• A program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bring high speed chargers to interstates in all 50 states.
• Companies including Cumberland Farms, Kohl’s Kroger, Shell, Subway, Target and Wawa have also announced major electric charger deployments but have not announced all details, so these deployments were not included in the analysis.

(HAVANA – July 5, 2023) An expedition of Cuban scientists departs this summer to study Cuban coral reefs in one of the largest scientific efforts in Cuban waters to date. The seven-week expedition will advance studies of reef climate resilience, an increasingly critical topic as ocean waters warm. Though vital to ocean health, reefs are extremely vulnerable to climate change and pollution. Half a billion people and around 25 percent of all ocean fish depend on healthy coral reefs, but more than half of reefs globally are at risk for heat stress.

The group of 24 Cuban scientists and experts will circumnavigate 5,700 km of Cuban coastline aboard the “Oceans for Youth” research vessel, operated by Avalon-Marinas Marlin (MINTUR). More than 30 Cuban institutions, including the Marine Research Center of the University of Havana, Avalon-Marinas Marlin (MINTUR), Naturaleza Secreta, the Ministry of Higher Education and the Environment Agency of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment of Cuba and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined in this collaborative effort.

Cuba is home to four of the world’s most climate-resilient coral reefs, making it an ideal location to study and potentially impact the preservation of other reefs worldwide. Reefs are hotspots of biodiversity, barometers for ocean health and function as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing excess carbon from the atmosphere.

By the end of the journey, the scientists are expected to have facilitated a unique database of samples, images and observations that will help enhance understanding of coral reefs in Cuba and beyond. The database will also record the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and coastal communities.

From the partners:

• "This expedition is the fruit of decades of intense work and marks the beginning of a new era for marine science and conservation in Cuba,” said Dr. Fabián Pina Amargós, Cuban marine biologist and a leader of the expedition. “For the first time, we will have a complete picture of the state of corals throughout the island, along with observations on sharks, fish, water quality, microbiology and many other groups.”

• "Through this collaborative effort involving more than 30 Cuban institutions, we established a research protocol that will allow homogeneous data to be obtained on a spatial and temporal scale," said Dr. Patricia González, Cuban marine biologist and a leader of the expedition. 

• “During navigation, we will register all human activities observed, as well as of the presence of megafauna, such as whales, sharks and pelagic fish, and waterfowl. We will seek evidence of how the impacts of climate change are affecting ecosystems and coastal communities and the effectiveness of our marine protected area system," said Tamara Figueredo, Cuban economist and another one of the lead scientists of the expedition.

• "This marine adventure will bring each Cuban closer to the splendor and richness of its waters. It will inspire us to continue the impressive work being done across the island for years to conserve its natural resources and cope with the impacts of climate change, " said Omelio Borroto Leiseca, the head of Naturaleza Secreta.  

• "The sea unites us. The conservation of coral reefs and marine resources in Cuba benefits ecosystems and communities in the United States and the entire region. We are honored to collaborate on this expedition," said Valerie Miller, director of EDF's Cuba program.

*Note: This article has been updated to reflect a change in the departure schedule.

(DENVER  —  July 5, 2023) Environmental Defense Fund has named Jolon Clark as Colorado State Director, bringing additional capacity and expertise to its political engagement and advocacy efforts in the Mountain West. Clark will work alongside EDF and EDF Action colleagues as well as state and regional partners to support on-the-ground advocacy on issues including energy, water and climate. Additionally, he will help ensure the successful implementation in Colorado of the transformative investments provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Born and raised in Colorado, Clark developed a passion for the outdoors that led him to The Greenway Foundation, an environmental NGO where he worked his way up from seasonal employee to senior management. He spent the last eight years as a member of the Denver City Council, where he stepped quickly into a leadership role on environmental policy, working to secure substantial new revenue for parks and open spaces and ensuring that these funds were equitably allocated to communities across the city. He also led the establishment of an office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

“Jolon has spent nearly a decade in the halls of government and understands how to build grassroots power and political influence on issues he cares about deeply,” said Hawley Truax, Associate Vice President, State Affairs. “EDF is honored to have a leader of Jolon’s caliber joining our team as we work to reduce harmful air and climate pollution, build an affordable clean energy economy, and ensure that all Colorado families and communities are protected from the ravages of climate change.”

“During my eight years in the public sector, I have been proud to work alongside the environmental community to push forward our shared priorities at both the municipal and state level,” said Clark. “I look forward to building upon my relationships and experience to enhance EDF’s impact in Colorado. Addressing the real concerns of communities overburdened by climate pollution will be top of mind as we work with policymakers, other NGOs and industry toward meaningful solutions that support both our environment and the economy in Colorado.”