Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – April 29, 2014) Today’s hearing makes clear that the discussion draft has made progress but still falls far short of legislation that will fix the fundamental flaws of the current law, according to Dr. Richard Denison, Lead Senior Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund. He urged all sides to keep the bipartisan process moving forward in both houses of Congress.

“While bipartisan discussions have yielded a number of substantial improvements to address serious concerns with the original draft, the most problematic provisions remain virtually untouched,” Denison said. “The goal now should be to keep the conversations going.”

Examples of progress include giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to require testing where data are insufficient for prioritization purposes; incorporation of deadlines for agency action to assess and address risks of high-priority chemicals; and less prescriptive and onerous information quality and evaluation requirements.

Sections of the draft pose major concerns and fail to strike a fair and reasonable balance. Examples include the sweeping preemption of state authority for chemicals never subject to a thorough EPA safety review; overly broad allowances for companies to mask the identity of chemicals even long after market entry; and a failure to ensure that conditions placed on new chemicals apply to all companies making or using them.

“We’re optimistic that solutions are at hand that address the needs of all stakeholders, but it is going to take a redoubling of effort by all sides to get there,” he said.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Vickie Patton, 720-837-6239, vpatton@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

The U.S. Supreme Court today revived a critical clean air standard that will protect the health of Americans across 28 Eastern states.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which was designed to protect downwind states from the harmful air pollution that is emitted by distant power plants and then blows across state borders.

The High Court ruled 6 to 2 to reverse an adverse decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

The decision, written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, says:

“EPA’s cost-effective allocation of emission reductions among upwind States, we hold, is a permissible, workable, and equitable interpretation of the Good Neighbor Provision” [of the Clean Air Act]. (page 32 of the decision)  

Justices Scalia and Thomas dissented; Justice Alito recused himself from the case.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision means that millions of Americans can breathe easier” said Fred Krupp, president for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which was a party to the case. “Power plant pollution creates serious health risks for millions of Americans, especially children and the elderly. The Supreme Court’s decision means that our nation can take the necessary steps to ensure healthier and longer lives for the 240 million Americans at risk from power plant smokestack pollution near and far.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule under the “good neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act, which is intended to ensure that the emissions from one state’s power plants do not cause harmful pollution levels in neighboring states.

The rule would reduce the sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen pollution emitted from coal-fired power plants across 28 eastern states. Those emissions, and the resulting particulate pollution and ozone — more commonly known as soot and smog — drift across the borders of those states and contribute to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels of pollution in downwind states.

Opponents challenged the rule in EME Homer City Generation v. EPA,and the D.C. Circuit Court overturned in August, 2012.  

Today, the Supreme Court overruled the D.C. Circuit Court and reinstated the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. EPA can now put the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule into effect.

You can read more about the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule on EDF’s website. 

“Communities expect and deserve transparency. We applaud Baker Hughes for their commitment to eliminate unnecessary trade secret claims, and in particular, for their commitment to work with their suppliers to do the same. The words are great. What we want to see are the results.”

• Mark Brownstein, EDF Associate Vice President & Chief Counsel, Natural Gas

Environmental Defense Fund applauds the New York State Public Service Commission’s historic move to re-evaluate the regulatory framework governing utility companies and how the energy system is valued. The New York Public Service Commission initiated a proceeding to develop a new regulatory model for electric utilities, laying the groundwork for the emergence of a 21^st century utility business model that takes into account new technology, climate change, and the need to reduce harmful carbon emissions.

“It’s time for the regulatory system to catch up with advances in clean energy, and New York is one of the first states to act. New York’s re-evaluation of the utility business model will spur a future in which solar and wind power and energy efficiency can deliver grid resilience and reduce pollution. This is a move of national significance and should reverberate across the country.”

EDF has been working with regulatory authorities and utilities across the country to ensure that a new business model for the energy system would enable companies like Consolidated Edison and National Grid in New York to pave the way toward a resilient, low-carbon energy future.   

• Cheryl Roberto, Associate Vice President, Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – April 22, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joins an elite group of ten SmartWay Affiliates recognized today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2014 SmartWay Affiliate Challenge Award. EPA will honor EDF for supporting policies and advancing practices that reduce harmful pollution from the freight transportation sector during a virtual awards presentation.

“EDF is proud to partner with EPA in a collaborative effort that has been successful in reducing harmful diesel pollution from the transportation sector. Communities living in and around U.S. ports and freight corridors are disproportionately affected by hazardous air pollution. Thanks to partnerships such as EPA’s SmartWay Program, all Americans benefit from immediate and lasting health improvements, including fewer asthma attacks, fewer lost workdays and schooldays, and reduced health care costs,” said Elena Craft, Senior Health Scientist at EDF.

The SmartWay Affiliate Challenge is a national program developed by EPA to acknowledge organizations that participate in SmartWay and do an exceptional job supporting the partnership’s freight sustainability goals. SmartWay Affiliate Honorees have initiated and executed recruiting, promotional, and marketing activities that raise awareness and encourage stakeholders to address air pollution from freight activities. These affiliates serve as role models for other SmartWay Affiliates and partners.

“I commend Environmental Defense Fund for its level of commitment, enthusiasm and creativity promoting EPA’s SmartWay program, and sustainable transportation” said Chris Grundler, Director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “EDF’s work in this arena brings us all closer to achieving the shared goals of clean freight and clean air.” 

As a SmartWay Affiliate Challenge Honoree, EDF, in collaboration with port stakeholders such as the Coalition for Responsible Transportation, has worked to improve air quality around port areas by highlighting best environmental management practices. Top-performing ports have reduced harmful air pollution from some of the largest sources of emissions, including port trucks and ocean-going vessels. 

EPA has recognized these Affiliates on the SmartWay website, in the SmartWay e-newsletter, and in industry trade publications as part of its Earth Day activities.

The U.S. Defense Department formally told military services to make energy savings a priority in a directive aimed at improving security and mitigating energy costs. The military services have long been at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, including clean energy applications.

“Environmental Defense Fund applauds the U.S. Defense Department for adopting the first overarching, comprehensive energy policy in 20 years. The services have taken significant steps to conserve energy and reduce their environmental footprints. The new policy provides a framework to continue their efforts.”

Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Joaquin McPeek, jmcpeek@edf.org, 916-492-7173

A new map, “Green Roads: Businesses Steering California to a Clean Transportation Future,” released today by Environmental Defense Fund, identifies approximately 300 businesses in over 400 locations across California growing the state’s clean transportation sector. Ranging from alternative fuel producers to electric vehicle manufacturers and investors, these companies are proof that California’s innovative clean transportation policies are contributing to the state’s robust economy.

The Green Roads map also indicates that policies like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and inclusion of transportation fuels in the state’s cap-and-trade program are working to support the development of clean transportation businesses. These companies are changing the face of transportation, the biggest source of greenhouse gas pollution in California. As the map suggests, it is critical to maintain the state’s pioneering fuel policies in order to spur further growth in the transportation sector and meet California’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

“It is increasingly important to demonstrate business growth and pollution cuts given the frequent attacks on the state’s innovative transportation fuel policies like cap-and-trade and LCFS. This map is a clear indicator that California is on the right track,” said Emily Reyna, Senior Manager, Partnerships and Alliances, EDF.

Produced in partnership with E2, NRDC, and CALSTART, the Green Roads map and associated database lay out critical data for each business and demonstrate that California’s policies and smart investments are making the state a fertile proving ground for new ideas and clean tech entrepreneurship.

In fact, employment in the clean transportation sector grew over 200% from 2001 to 2011 according to a recent report.

“This map demonstrates that California’s clean transportation technologies industry is large and diverse, with a variety of companies active throughout the state. This ever-growing list provides evidence that smart and stable policies lead to innovation and high-quality job growth in California,” said Jamie Hall, Policy Director, CALSTART.

Green Roads also serves as a broader complement to a company map that was included in EDF’s biodiesel study last year. Together these maps indicate the significant and positive impact that AB 32 and the LCFS are having on California companies, paving the way for economic growth and sustainable development. 

What Others Are Saying about EDF’s Green Roads Map:

• Ricky Hanna, CEO, Electric Vehicles International

“Electric Vehicles International (EVI), formerly headquartered in Mexico, moved our operations to California in 2009 due in part to California’s leading air quality polices, including AB 32 and AB 118,  designed to help deploy zero-emission vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and clean the air for communities throughout the state.”

• Tim Brummels, CEO, Canergy LLC

“This map highlights the magnitude and positive effects that California’s LCFS and cap-and-trade policies are having for businesses like ours all across the state. The opportunities for environmentally safe, ultra-low-carbon renewable transportation fuels for and the economic impact and jobs created for local communities in the state would not be possible without California’s commitment to lowering greenhouse gases.”

• Brittany Applestein Syz, VP Business Development & General Counsel, Oberon Fuels

 “Oberon Fuels continues to benefit from California’s leadership in sustainable solutions for environmental challenges through the State’s incentive programs, policies, and regulations.  California’s support of innovative companies, like Oberon, enables new technologies to come to market.” 

• Mary Solecki, Clean Fuels Program Director, Environmental Entrepreneurs

“This map is evidence that good economic and environmental policies are positively transforming California’s fuel and transportation market, while benefitting our communities and our climate. Green Roads shows a clear trend toward clean, low-carbon business development, a critical component to boosting our economy and inspiring the next generation of environmental entrepreneurs.”

• Simon Mui, Director of California’s Vehicle and Fuels Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

“The Green Roads map shows that hundreds of California businesses are helping reducing our dependence on foreign oil and are at the cutting edge of vehicle technology. This is exactly the kind of innovation that our country needs, and we expect to see further growth in this sector as a result of California’s innovative transportation policies.”

To learn more, visit: edf.org/greentransportation

(New Orleans, LA—April 17, 2014) Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation organizations working on Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement:

“Four years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf recovery remains elusive. We must hope for a measure of justice for communities, wildlife and habitats. However, the urgent need for restoration is still unfulfilled.

“Reports from the field and laboratory continue to raise the alarm. New scientific studies show how the oil disaster’s impacts are permeating the food chain – from small microorganisms like zooplankton to large mammals like sperm whales and dolphins. Louisiana wetlands suffocated by BP’s oil have eroded more quickly than those the oil spared. Areas that once provided valuable mangrove habitat for thousands of nesting birds and other animals have shrunk or disappeared. Islands that were thriving rookeries for birds and wildlife are now gray and lifeless. The stark truth of visible damage in areas like Barataria Bay, Louisiana, speaks for itself. This week, BP declared active clean up complete in Louisiana, but volumes of BP oil continue to surface, from miles of oiled coastline to a monster-sized 40,000-pound tar mat.  

“While BP denies clear science, the facts present the truth: the Gulf is still hurting, and BP’s to blame. Four years after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, the oil giant has yet to pay a penny of its Clean Water Act fines for polluting the Gulf.

“Restoration of the Mississippi River Delta ecosystem must happen to repair natural resources on which local economies depend. Solutions are ready and within reach. But restoration work cannot begin in earnest until BP is held accountable to the full extent of the law. We urge swift resolution to this crisis. It is past-due and justice demands it.”

Background:

Since the BP oil disaster began four years ago, ongoing findings deliver truths omitted by BP’s ads: the oil disaster’s negative effects are increasingly clear, present and far from resolved. Over the past year alone, new research has surfaced:

• A new infographic depicts ongoing impacts of the Gulf oil disaster four years later.
• A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) detailed how exposure to BP oil can lead to abnormalities including irregular heartbeats and heart attacks in Atlantic bluefin tuna and amberjack.
• A new NOAA study revealed that dolphins exposed to BP oil had increased health problems, including adrenal problems, severe lung disease and reproductive issues.
• A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences definitively linked a community of damaged deep water corals near the Macondo well to the BP oil spill.
• A Louisiana State University researcher found that the BP oil spill is still killing Louisiana coastal insects.
• Visible tar balls and tar mats continue to surface, including a 40,000-pound tar mat discovered off the coast of a Louisiana barrier island in June 2013.

Statement of Britt Groosman, EU Director, Environmental Defense Fund on the European Parliament’s adoption of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

“The new fisheries fund signifies a commitment to reverse overfishing of our precious ocean resources.  It provides robust incentives for fishermen to change their catching behaviour and ease the transition of the industry to more sustainable fishing practises.  The new fisheries fund will support improved data collection and enforcement, and enable fishermen to purchase gear and equipment that avoids catching unwanted fish.

“Smart rights-based management policies have the potential, where appropriate, to play a big role in the foundation of sustainable fisheries management, and the fisheries fund’s support for developing systems of allocation is another welcome addition.

“Like any compromise, the EMFF still has some way to go; for example, it retains funding for vessel modernisation which risks contributing to an oversupply of fishing capacity for the available fish stocks. However, with the CFP’s strong sustainability targets for reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield targets and more control and enforcement, this risk is minimised.

“EDF looks forward to continuing working with fishing industry, government and other partners to implement the goals of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy.”

(Austin, TX – April 15, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund applauds today’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., denying legal challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) life-saving Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). Today’s court decision rejects flawed legal claims by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, one of the opponents of EPA’s vital clean air safeguards for our communities and families.

Attorney General Abbott has sued the federal government 31 times since 2004, needlessly costing Texan taxpayer’s nearly $4 million.

The EPA emission standards at issue establish the first nationwide emission limits on the mercury, arsenic and acid gases discharged from the U.S. fleet of existing coal- and oil-fired power plants, the single largest source of these toxic airborne contaminants.   

Mercury exposure can impair the brain development of infants and young children. According to the EPA, each year more than 400,000 infants are born with elevated mercury levels in their blood, but the MATS standards will eliminate 90 percent of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants. In Texas, the rule will annually prevent up to 1,200 premature deaths, while providing between $4 billion to $9.7 billion in health benefits in 2016 and each year thereafter. 

“Today’s decision comes as an unquestionable victory for Texans who care about vital clean air safeguards and protecting our most vulnerable citizens – young children and pregnant women. Rather than waste taxpayer’s money and protect the interests of big fossil fuel companies, Greg Abbott and other state leaders should champion life-saving measures that protect the health and well-being of Texans.” 

           -       Jim Marston, Vice President, US Climate and Energy Program, Founding Director of EDF’s Texas Office

(New York, NY – April 15, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is pleased to announce that a non-profit business association in Texas devoted to bringing property-assessed clean energy (PACE) programs to the state, Keeping PACE in Texas, Tuesday released a do-it-yourself toolkit that embeds energy efficiency protocols developed by EDF’s Investor Confidence Project (ICP).

The ICP protocols aim to bring transparency and accountability to the energy efficiency market by introducing a system of standardization to the way commercial building retrofits are developed, funded, and measured. The ICP framework assembles best practices and technical standards into a set of protocols that define a clear roadmap for developing projects, estimating energy and financial savings, and documenting and verifying results.

The incorporation of the ICP protocols in the do-it-yourself toolkit for local Texas officials interested in launching PACE programs in their cities and counties, known as PACE in a Box, reflects ICP’s growing momentum across the country.

“It has been exciting to work with the Texas PACE in a Box team, the Texas State Energy Conservation Office, and key industry stakeholders to ensure the Investor Confidence Project can support the energy and economic goals of Texas PACE,” said Matt Golden, Senior Energy Finance Consultant with EDF. “Not only will ICP help create consistency in PACE programs across Texas, it will also align Texas PACE with a growing number of private investors interested in investing in the state.”

Keeping PACE in Texas joins ICP’s rapidly expanding Ally Network, which includes Connecticut’s Green Bank and the LA Better Buildings Challenge.

“PACE in a Box was designed by more than a hundred stakeholders as a uniform, user-friendly, sustainable and scalable model PACE program for local communities throughout Texas. We are glad to have access to ICP’s energy efficiency protocols to help ensure consistency in energy efficiency monitoring and valuation so that property owners and lenders have confidence in the savings projected in their PACE in a Box financing opportunities,” said Charlene Heydinger, executive director of Keeping PACE in Texas.

The release of PACE in a Box follows in the wake of the Texas state legislature’s approval of PACE programs, which allow property owners to finance energy efficiency upgrades through their property tax bills. Designed to facilitate a consistent statewide approach to implementing PACE financing, PACE in a Box outlines the steps a local government should take to establish an effective PACE program quickly and economically.

Incorporating ICP’s standards into its toolkit allowed Keeping PACE in Texas to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of developing proprietary program standards. The business association initially investigated developing a set of technical standards for undertaking energy efficiency upgrades for the toolkit, but after reviewing market-tested ICP’s protocols, it decided that utilizing them could expedite the release of PACE in a Box as well as avoid development and maintenance costs associated with proprietary versions.

Keeping PACE in Texas released the final draft of PACE in a Box Tuesday but is soliciting feedback from stakeholders before launching an official version, scheduled for May 30.

NEWS RELEASE

(Washington, D.C. – April 15, 2014) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) landmark Mercury and Air Toxics Standards today. EDF was a party to the case and EDF’s counsel Sean Donahue presented oral argument in defense of these vital health protections. Chief Judge Merrick Garland and Judge Judith Rogers denied and dismissed the legal challenges. Judge Brett Kavanaugh dissented in part.

The decision upholds EPA’s efforts to set the first-ever national limits on some of the most dangerous types of air pollution emitted by power plants, including mercury, arsenic and acid gases.

“Today’s legal victory is another giant step forward on the road to cleaner, healthier air,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund, which was a party to the case. “Today, the court recognized that mercury and other dangerous air toxins from coal-fired power plants are a threat to public health, and that we should all be protected from them. Now we must complete the essential work to achieve these clean air protections for our children and for all Americans.”

The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are the result of a decades-long effort to ensure power plants clean up the mercury and other dangerous substances that can be spewed into the atmosphere when coal and oil are burned for power.

Power plants are responsible for half of the mercury pollution, two-thirds of the arsenic emissions, and three quarters of the acid gases emitted in America. Those substances are all highly toxic to humans; mercury, in particular, is linked to brain damage in children.

EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards would prevent 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks every year. Every dollar spent on complying with the rule will result in nine dollars in health benefits for Americans.

Industry and other groups challenged the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. EPA defended them, along with a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia, industry leaders, medical and public health advocates, and environmental organizations – including EDF.

Chief Judge Merrick Garland, Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Judge Judith Rogers of the D.C. Circuit Court heard arguments in the case on December 10, 2013.

You can find more about the history of the case and all the legal briefs on EDF’s website.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. — April 15, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released five technical papers today, initiating the first stage in a multifaceted process that is part of the White House methane strategy. The plan, announced March 28, outlines a series of steps and a timeline that EPA, along with the U.S. Departments of Energy and the Interior will follow to reduce emissions of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. The strategy follows President Obama’s creation of a task force charged with developing a comprehensive plan to control methane from multiple sectors, including the oil and gas industry — the largest industrial source of methane in the United States.

“The release of these EPA white papers is as another important step in the Obama Administration’s road map to address methane pollution. The case for action is strong and we’re confident it will prove out in the end. We look forward to engaging collaboratively as the process moves forward,” said Peter Zalzal, EDF staff attorney. “Recent economic assessments point out that there are readily-available, cost-effective technologies to minimize methane emissions today, and leading states have already deployed many of these important solutions. We’re heartened to see EPA and the Administration continuing to press ahead on this urgent issue.”

In March, EDF released a comprehensive analysis prepared by the independent consulting firm ICF International, which examined opportunities to reduce methane across the oil and gas industry. The report found that 40 percent of onshore oil and gas methane emissions – equivalent to enough gas to heat approximately 2.6 million homes – could be reduced in 2018 by deploying proven, cost-effective technologies.

The EPA white papers are now available and, after public comment and technical peer review, the agency plans to decide how to best pursue additional methane reductions in the fall.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Joaquin McPeek, jmcpeek@edf.org, 916-492-7173

“EDF commends Senator Steinberg for his commitment to investing cap-and-trade revenues in ways that will cut pollution and make our communities more sustainable.  We support the change in direction of this bill which ensures that an absolute limit on over 85% of climate pollution in California remains intact.  

“There is more work to be done to ensure the bill is consistent with the funding metrics and priorities developed through the investment plan and the public process that preceded it.  We look forward to working with the Legislature, Governor Brown, and other partners to seize the best opportunities to support our most disadvantaged communities and spur California’s economy toward a low-carbon future.”

-Lauren Faber, West Coast Political Director, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – April 13, 2014) The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says all countries need to do more to reduce global warming, and we need to do it fast.

The IPCC released its third in a series of comprehensive reports on climate change today in Berlin. This report focuses on the need to reduce or prevent global emissions of greenhouse gases.

Today’s report underscores the findings of the IPCC’s report from last month that climate change is affecting all parts of the planet, and that all countries must work together to reduce warming in order to prevent global temperatures from exceeding the point beyond which catastrophic changes to our planet become irreversible.

Like all IPCC reports, it is the work of hundreds of scientists from around the world who volunteered their time for the project – including EDF’s Visiting Chief Economist Thomas Sterner, who is a Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 15: “National and Sub-national Policy Instruments.”

“There are real opportunities to limit emissions, but we need the application of strong policy instruments around the world,” said Sterner. “For instance, in most countries right now there is virtually no cost to emitting greenhouse gases, but an increasing number of areas are starting to adopt permit trading – AB32 in California is one of the most recent and most sophisticated of those systems. Other important policy instruments that we identified include stimulating research on new technologies, and removing the subsidies on fossil fuels that are now in place in many countries.”

Other findings of today’s report include:

• Global emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities have continued to rise. Total manmade greenhouse gas emission rates were the highest in human history from 2000 to 2010.
• Carbon dioxide accounts for 78 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions from 1970 to 2010; methane accounts for 16 percent.
  About half of all carbon dioxide emissions between 1750 and 2010 occurred in the last 40 years.
• The energy, industry and transport sectors are dominating emissions increases. On the current trajectory, global transportation emissions will double by 2050.
• Emissions from consumption growth continue to outgrow emission savings from energy efficiency improvements.
• The world needs to act now, and move quickly, to limit the magnitude and rate of climate change. The longer we delay action, the more expensive it will be.
• To have a fifty-fifty chance of avoiding the most dangerous climate change scenarios, countries will need to cut emissions by at least 40 percent from 2010 levels by the year 2050.
• There is a range of options for sustainable climate actions. Almost 1,000 scenarios were analyzed for the report.
• Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced significantly by replacing current coal‐fired power plants with modern, highly efficient natural gas combined‐cycle power plants or combined heat and power plants — provided that the fugitive emissions associated with extraction are low or mitigated.
• Renewable energy technologies, including wind and solar power, have finally achieved a level of maturity to enable large-scale deployment, although steep challenges still exist.
• Behavioral and lifestyle changes — including lower energy use in households, buying longer-lasting products, and reducing food waste – can considerably lower emissions alongside technological and structural changes.
• Effective actions will only be achieved by international cooperation. Fortunately, the number of institutions for international cooperation is increasing.

(You can find the report and all related documents here)

“The report shows that we need to take action, but also it shows that we have many tools at our disposal to help us tackle climate change,” said EDF climate scientist Ilissa Ocko. “This is a great opportunity for America to step into its traditional role as a world leader. Reducing warming will require a global effort, but the U.S. has the talent and the ability to lead the world into a safer, healthier, clean energy future.”

IPCC reports have been tracking climate change since 1990. This round of reports is the Fifth Assessment. The first of this round of reports was released in September, 2013 and looked at the science behind climate change. The second was released on March 31, 2014 and looked at the impacts of climate change and the need for adaptation.

The IPCC will release a fourth document synthesizing the findings from these three reports. That’s expected in October, and will be the basis for the international climate negotiations that will be held in Paris next year.