Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – January 10, 2023) The Department of Interior today announced the creation of an Office of Orphan Wells to help administer the $4.7 billion in orphan well closure funding provided by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

“This is an important step for efficiently and effectively distributing these federal funds where they are needed most. The more than 120,000 documented orphan oil and gas wells nationwide leak climate pollution and pose direct threats to people’s health. Properly plugging these inactive wells– which have no solvent owner of record – is critical to reduce methane emissions, toxic air pollution and groundwater contamination. It also creates jobs in oil and gas communities. We look forward to continued work with Congressional allies in finding and closing orphan wells across the country.”

• Adam Peltz, EDF Director and Senior Attorney for Energy Transition

In this year’s State of the State Address, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support for an economy-wide cap-and-invest program, vehicle electrification directives and an affirmation of support for New York City’s congestion pricing program — measures that are critical for reducing emissions across the state and achieving the state’s emission reduction goals as established by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, CLCPA.

“With this address, Governor Hochul has confirmed that meeting the goals of the CLCPA remains a high priority. Governor Hochul’s strong policy proposals put New York on the right path to achieve the state’s ambitious climate and energy goals all while centering benefits and protections for disadvantaged communities. A cap-and-invest program with strong environmental justice protections can slash climate-warming pollution across the state’s economy while raising beneficial investments for communities, and sustainable transportation initiatives that focus on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will further reduce emissions and curb harmful air pollution in overburdened communities. Now is the time to go full speed ahead on moving to a sustainable and healthy future.”

• Mary Barber, Director, State Affairs

The Governor’s cap-and-invest program, which was recommended in the New York Climate Action Council’s final Scoping Plan in December, would drive down climate pollution across the state’s economy, while enabling investments that benefit New York communities. To do so, the cap puts an enforceable and declining limit on major sources of greenhouse gas emissions across the state’s economy, which provides the greatest possible certainty that New York meets its climate goals. At the same time, the program has the potential to raise billions of dollars through requiring polluters to purchase allowances - money that will be put back into communities – with a goal of 40% of those investments benefitting disadvantaged communities. 

Any cap-and-invest program must include strong guardrails that both benefit and protect historically disadvantaged and overburdened communities. Doing so will require listening to environmental justice communities’ ideas and concerns and ensuring they are incorporated into the final program.

Governor Hochul also took steps towards electrifying vehicles throughout the state, directing the Department of Public Service (DPS) to launch a proceeding that will identify and remove the barriers to the efficient and timely deployment of charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. Transportation is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York. And though medium- and heavy-duty vehicles only account for about four percent of total vehicles on the road they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of GHGs emissions and local air pollution that is particularly harmful to human health. This measure will push the state towards its ambitious goals as outlined in the Advanced Clean Trucks rule and multistate memorandum calling for 30% of truck and bus sales to be zero emission vehicles by 2030 and for 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2045.

In support of New York City’s congestion pricing program, Governor Hochul affirmed that the State will continue its progress towards the program’s implementation, which will provide reliable and necessary funds for the MTA to improve and modernize the City’s public transit system. 

(Sacramento, CA — Jan. 10, 2023) Earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom released a proposed budget for California’s next fiscal year, outlining expenditures on a range of issues impacting human health, education, and the environment. The proposed spending necessarily reflects the uncertainty of California’s fiscal situation but also works hard to “keep promises” and uphold previous commitments, as the Governor emphasized in his press conference. 

“Despite the recent economic downturn, we greatly appreciate Governor Newsom’s efforts to uphold critical funding for climate, drought, and water resilience. This commitment continues the legacy of leadership on climate resilience through forward thinking, taking into account historic inequities.”

“As the Governor noted this morning, the drought is not over, but recent precipitation has highlighted the importance of groundwater recharge and transparent and reliable water data. To this end, we are pleased to see the commitment made last year to continue funding for multibenefit land repurposing upheld and the new funding for enhanced water data as well as Central Valley Flood Protection added to the budget.”

“We appreciate the Governor’s continued interest and funding for medium and heavy-duty zero-emissions vehicles, and we look forward to working with him to continue to strengthen these allocations. While the state experiences budget constraints, there is also an opportunity to make a small initial investment in SB 372 (Leyva) which enables private capital to stretch the state budget and to achieve our ambitious ZEV goals.”  

“We look forward to working with Governor Newsom and Legislative leadership to identify important and timely down payments that reflect both limited financial resources of the state and our significant and systemic environmental challenges.”

• Ann Hayden, Associate Vice President for Climate Resilient Water Systems

(Washington, D.C. – January 6, 2022) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking an important step toward strengthening our nation’s health-based standards for particle or “soot” pollution – an air pollutant that harms the hearts and lungs of millions of people and is associated with thousands of deaths annually. However, EPA should strengthen the level of protection in the final standards to reflect the health science and the recommendations of EPA’s independent science advisors. There are well-established solutions to address the dangerous particle pollution that originates from power plant smokestacks, tailpipes, and industrial sources. Solutions such as clean energy and clean vehicles save families money and are creating high quality jobs with the historic U.S. investments under the Inflation Reduction Act.   

“EPA is taking an important step forward to address deadly soot pollution, and we urge EPA to issue more protective final standards so that all people can breathe easier,” said EDF General Counsel Vickie Patton. “Addressing soot pollution consistent with the health science is one of the most important clean air actions our nation can take to ensure healthier, longer lives for millions of people in all parts of the country.”

EPA’s proposal to strengthen the national standard for particle pollution reflects the unanimous finding of the expert Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee “that the current level of the annual standard is not sufficiently protective of public health and should be lowered.” EPA’s proposal to tighten the standard from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to a level between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter is important progress but should be further strengthened as it does not adequately reflect the majority findings of EPA’s science advisors “that an annual average in the range of 8-10 [micrograms per cubic meter] would be appropriate” or that “substantial epidemiologic evidence from both morbidity and mortality studies” show that daily (24-hour standard) also “is not adequately protective” and warrants strengthening.

EDF commissioned a report by Industrial Economics finding that an annual standard of 8 micrograms per cubic meter prevents more than four times as many premature deaths as a standard of 10 micrograms per cubic meter and makes vital progress towards reducing the heavy health burdens on communities that have been afflicted by this pollution for far too long.

Under our nation’s clean air laws, EPA is required to review the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particle pollution every five years and consider new scientific evidence related to the health impacts from the pollution. However, in 2020 the prior administration chose to retain the current, inadequate particle pollution standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter, disregarding the extensive evidence showing serious health impacts from pollution exposures below that level.

EPA will hold a 60-day public comment period on today’s proposal and will host virtual public hearings. The standards are expected to be finalized by August.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) today released a revised draft of its electric truck and bus charging infrastructure proposal, which is designed to get New Jersey ready for increased adoption of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. the draft includes a strong program that will get New Jersey closer to reaching its goals of 30% of truck and bus sales being zero-emission by 2030 and the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which requires medium and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to increase their production of zero-emissions vehicles until model year 2035, when at least 55% of all new trucks sold in New Jersey are projected to be electric.

“The revised New Jersey Board of Public Utility’s Medium & Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Ecosystem Straw Proposal is a step in the right direction to help the state meet its climate goals and ensure historically overburdened communities realize the benefits of cleaner air and improved health.  We are reviewing this proposal and look forward to working with the Board, utilities, and other stakeholders in the new year.”

• Mary Barber, Director, State Affairs

Transportation is a leading cause of local air pollution in New Jersey, and trucks are the biggest contributor. With investments from federal programs like the Inflation Reduction Act and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, New Jersey is poised to make significant progress on electrifying the transportation sector.

In 2020, New Jersey signed on to a multi-state memorandum calling for 30% of truck and bus sales to be zero emission vehicles by 2030, and in 2021 it adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks rule. New Jersey’s 2019 Energy Master Plan also calls for electrification of the state’s transit fleet, industry partnerships to develop electrification incentives, and expansion of clean transportation options in low- and moderate-income communities that are disproportionately impacted by diesel pollution.

(WASHINGTON, DC) “The passage of the bipartisan Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program — formerly known as the Growing Climate Solutions Act — is something Environmental Defense Fund and countless others have worked toward for more than two years. This is a great opportunity for farmers and climate advocates. 

“U.S. farmers can be part of the climate solution by lowering emissions from farming and increasing carbon storage. This legislation paves the way for producers to generate additional revenue from providing these climate benefits, while also building resilience to droughts, variable rainfall and other climate impacts that are already making a difficult profession even harder. 

“This new U.S. Department of Agriculture program will increase the number of technical assistance providers who can help more farmers gain the knowledge they need to adopt farming practices that can qualify for credits on voluntary carbon markets. During this decisive decade for climate action, and with farm margins tighter than ever, this is an important win-win for the climate and producers’ bottom lines. 

“Congress also passed the Acceptance and Use of Private Funds For Public-Private Partnerships — formerly called the SUSTAINS Act — a law that will complement the Biden administration’s considerable investments in climate-smart agriculture by bringing the private sector to the table to help fund USDA conservation programs. 

“USDA conservation programs and voluntary carbon markets need to ensure equitable access for Black farmers and others who have historically been excluded from these opportunities. Carbon credits must also be based on robust science about net greenhouse gas and environmental impacts. EDF is pleased to see that scientific bodies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology will be included in the advisory council so that USDA can draw on and promote the be best available science for high-quality credits.  

“Those efforts, along with today’s legislative victories, are building a strong foundation for creating economic opportunity through agricultural climate solutions.” 

• Elizabeth Gore, senior vice president, Political Affairs   

(Washington, D.C. – December 22, 2022) EDF commends Congress for passing the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations package. This bipartisan effort will support implementation of the historic Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with increased funding to support the work of critical agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The boosts to these agencies will drive progress for important programs that address issues like clean air, sea level rise, orphan wells, toxic chemical exposure, heavy metals in children’s food and sustainable fisheries.

“The bipartisan omnibus bill reinforces the priority to protect our environment with the implementation of the landmark climate investments,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President at EDF. “The inclusion of the Growing Climate Solutions Act positions farmers to be a part of our natural climate solutions strategy. We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Leahy, Shelby and House Chairwoman DeLauro. We urge Congress to continue to support these agencies working to protect public health and advance environmental justice.”

“Clean post office delivery trucks are coming soon, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. The immediate purchase order for 60,000 electric vehicles will save money for the Postal Service while reducing deadly diesel pollution in our neighborhoods. The fact that 100% of new delivery trucks will be electric vehicles starting in 2026 shows we can clean up unhealthy air pollution and save money on fuel.

“This decision is in keeping with the Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach to cutting climate pollution. It uses the purchasing power of the American People to spur innovation, create jobs, and save consumers money. Private sector companies, including Amazon and Pepsi, have already announced moves to zero emissions electric vehicles because they know it is the best choice for their business. EDF has strongly advocated for increased clean vehicles adoption by the Postal Service to kick that transition into high gear.  

“This announcement comes just hours after EPA announced its Clean Trucks Plan, which includes a commitment to issue proposed standards in March of next year that will help accelerate zero-emission truck deployment relying on game changing investments in the new climate law. Once again, President Biden’s leadership is showing real results for the American people and our climate.” 

            - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – December 20, 2022) EPA announced its Clean Trucks Plan today – a series of actions the agency will take to reduce dangerous pollution from new freight trucks and buses.

“EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan helps give America’s children the gift of cleaner air and healthier lives. EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan includes a series of vitally important steps to help ensure cleaner air and a safer climate for millions of people, save truckers and fleets money, and create more American jobs,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund, who attended today’s announcement. “The plan announced today includes long-awaited final emissions standards for nitrogen oxides pollution that will significantly reduce this deadly pollutant and ultimately save thousands of lives and prevent numerous serious illnesses every year.”

“It is also vitally important that EPA move forward swiftly to recognize protective state standards adopted by California and numerous other states and move swiftly to issue a new generation of climate and air pollution standards that recognize 21^st century solutions for new model year 2027 and later vehicles – standards that leverage the Inflation Reduction Act’s game-changing investments in zero-emitting trucks,” said Patton. “American manufacturers, fleets, workers and communities are seizing the historic Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation investments in zero-emitting trucks and buses to innovate, altogether eliminate the pollution from rolling smokestacks, and lead our nation to a healthier and brighter future. Taken together, EPA’s suite of clean air actions for America can help eliminate harmful pollution from freight trucks and buses while creating jobs and economic opportunity.”

Medium and heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks and buses are just 10% of all the vehicles on our roads, but they are responsible for the majority of health-harming pollution from the transportation sector, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution. The new, stronger standards for NOx pollution that EPA just finalized will apply to new medium and heavy-duty diesel vehicles in model years 2027 and later. In addition to strengthening the standards for those vehicles, EPA also finalized new, modernized test procedures, and warranty and useful life requirements that will help ensure the standards more fully reduce emissions from in-use operations. In all EPA estimates these new, stronger NOx standards will keep more than 400,000 tons of pollution out of our air and will prevent almost 3,000 deaths and numerous hospitalizations and respiratory illnesses each year by 2045.

EPA’S Clean Truck Plan also includes a commitment for prompt action on California’s request for a Clean Air Act preemption waiver for the state’s vital Clean Truck Standards. The state standards reflect California’s longstanding leadership in reducing harmful transportation sector pollution and accelerating the deployment of zero-emission vehicles to achieve cleaner, healthier air for millions of people all across the Golden State. Several other states have adopted California’s protections and additional states are poised to do so, as long provided for under our nation’s clean air laws that expressly recognize and value state leadership and innovation in protecting human health and the environment.

EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan also includes a commitment to move forward with proposed standards for new vehicles sold in model year 2027 and later that fully leverage investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation to help ensure the rapid deployment of zero-emitting trucks and buses. Those proposed standards are expected this March. EDF has done extensive analysis on the game-changing investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, including work that shows how the law’s tax credits for purchasing clean trucks, infrastructure investments, and manufacturing support dramatically accelerate price-parity for zero-emitting vehicles and thus will help truckers and fleets save money. Other recent work documents the billions of dollars companies are spending to manufacture medium and heavy-duty zero-emitting vehicles, the thousands of jobs these investments will support and the rapid development and introduction of new zero-emitting trucks. EPA’s expected proposal represents a vital and urgent opportunity to adopt protective standards, leveraging these historic investments, that are consistent with eliminating pollution from new heavy-duty trucks and buses by 2035.

“EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan can help to speed us toward a zero-emission future for new freight trucks and buses,” said Patton. “Today’s final standards for NOx pollution from diesel freight trucks and buses are an important step toward that future. Now it will be essential for us all to work together to ensure EPA’s next tier of pollution standards be adopted in 2023, and EPA action on California state standards be swift, protective, and durable. That’s what we need to ensure we actually achieve the health, climate, economic and job benefits that today’s vital Clean Truck Plan envisions.”

(NEW ORLEANS — Dec. 20, 2022) Yesterday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) signed the Record of Decision approving permits for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Backed by decades of innovative scientific modeling, the decision is a pivotal moment for the state, marking a major victory in the fight to address the state’s land loss and erosion crisis. 

The project will be a $2.3 billion investment that builds on the state’s existing restoration efforts to preserve its local ecosystems and leverage the use of natural solutions to build on and strengthen acres of wetlands in the Barataria Basin. As the largest individual restoration project in history, Environmental Defense Fund is excited about the new economic benefits that this will bring to the region. These projects will create and support thousands of jobs and provide real economic opportunities for businesses and jobs for Louisiana residents. The diversion will be adaptively managed to ensure effective operations of the sediment diversion to achieve a bountiful and productive delta.  

These official permits represent the hard work of several environmental organizations, state leaders and advocates. With this greenlight to move forward, the diversion will play a critical role in protecting vulnerable communities from hurricanes and damaging storm surge by reconnecting the Mississippi River to coastal wetlands, sustaining the health of the ecosystem and building a more resilient coast for people and nature. 

"The Mississippi River has built its delta in coastal Louisiana over the last 7000 years by distributing its sand, silt and clay sediments during high flow periods," said Jim Tripp, a retired EDF lawyer, who has been working on Louisiana’s coastal crisis since the 1970s. "The massive flood control and navigation levees of the river have largely disrupted these natural processes. Combatting land loss and restoring the delta building processes requires re-establishing the historic sediment distribution functions of the river. That is what the Mid-Barataria Basin Sediment Diversion, the first major sediment diversion, is designed to do. After decades of planning, we are on the cusp of creating a better future for coastal Louisiana."

“We commend the State of Louisiana and the Corps in an almost unprecedented scientific effort to understand and disclose the benefits and impacts of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion," said Natalie Snider, associate vice president of Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds at EDF. "Re-establishing the natural processes of the river is essential to the future of Louisiana’s ecosystems and communities fighting the impacts of climate change.”

“A major milestone has been achieved for Louisiana," said Cathleen Berthelot, director of federal affairs, coastal and flood resilience at EDF. "State leaders and members of the Corps have recognized the significant economic and environmental impacts that the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will have on the delta.”

(NEW YORK, NY) New York State’s Climate Action Council today adopted its final Scoping Plan, a roadmap to achieve the goals identified in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, CLCPA, the state’s flagship climate law. The Plan reflects the increasing need and opportunities to improve climate resilience, electrify end uses, such as transportation and buildings, decarbonize the gas system and create an equitable economy-wide solution to reduce carbon emissions and protect historically disadvantaged and overburdened communities throughout the state. The CLCPA requires every sector of New York’s economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and by 85% by 2050.

“With this plan, New York establishes pathways to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollution to decarbonize its economy, improve public health and safety and manage the increasingly damaging impacts of climate change. EDF looks forward to working with partners and allies across sectors to ensure equitable and rapid implementation of emissions reduction strategies and programs to meet the state’s climate goals.

• Mary Barber, Director, State Affairs

(Montreal – Dec. 19, 2022) Against a backdrop of a global biodiversity crisis, delegates from more than 190 countries today agreed on a new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse the loss of nature. The agreement was struck at the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP15, hosted by the governments of China and Canada in Montreal. The pact covers how countries will reach 23 targets aimed at halting biodiversity loss, preserving nature and ensuring resources are deployed equitably across countries to achieve these goals.  

“The agreement reached today in Montreal is a ringing endorsement of the urgent need to halt biodiversity loss, preserve nature, and put the planet on a path toward recovery from what will be a mass extinction of plants and animals if we fail to act. 

“The recommitment of the world’s leaders to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a milestone step toward ensuring the planet’s ability to thrive. At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the importance of tackling multiple crises at once, including the climate crisis, pollution, the need to transform our food systems and biodiversity. 

“EDF congratulates the governments of China, the presidency of COP15 and Canada, the co-host, on their commitment to reaching an agreement. We also recognize that there are still substantial hurdles to overcome, including equitable funding so that developing nations have the resources they need to ensure resilience and biodiversity in the face of mounting challenges. At EDF, we will continue to raise these issues and work with our partners, especially those in the Global South including Indigenous peoples and local communities, in support of the critical engagement of developing nations. 

“EDF is particularly encouraged by the commitment made at COP15 to preserve 30 percent of the world’s lands and oceans by the end of the decade, while also recognizing the increasing importance of managing the remaining 70 percent for sustainability. That will require a strong commitment by governments, civil society and business to act on the goals set forward in this historic pact and align these efforts with those to address climate change and drive sustainable development.   

“While the Kunming-Montreal agreement is a critically important step toward recognizing the growing biodiversity crisis, now comes the hard part. We must recommit ourselves toward taking concrete actions that preserve nature, ensure equitable use of natural resources and transform our food systems so that we can achieve a vital earth for everyone.” 

(Washington, D.C. - December 16, 2022) As communities across the country face growing threats from climate change, Congress passed legislation that would provide directives and funding for critical solutions to meet the growing demands of climate-fueled flood risk. The passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022) includes new provisions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address America’s growing and complex flood risk, enable ecosystem restoration, utilize nature-based solutions and begin to address systematic inequality by supporting equitable solutions for low wealth communities, communities of color and Tribal communities. 

“A little over a year ago, nearly 100 organizations and experts around the country called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to comprehensively tackle the multiple flood threats facing communities today and into the future. Today, with the passage of WRDA 2022, Congress has recognized that we can no longer ignore the economic, environmental and social costs of isolating a single source of a community’s flood risk. Instead, we must take holistic approaches to meet the extreme damages and complex threats of a changing climate.” 

Natalie Snider, Associate Vice President, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund

BACKGROUND 

SEC. 8106. SCOPE OF FEASIBILITY STUDIES. 

(a) FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT OR HURRICANE AND STORM DAMAGE RISK REDUCTION. — In carrying out a feasibility study for a project for flood risk management or hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, the Secretary, at the request of the non-Federal interest for the study, shall formulate alternatives to maximize the net benefits from the reduction of the comprehensive flood risk within the geographic scope of the study from the isolated and compound effects of— 

1. a riverine discharge of any magnitude or frequency; 
2. inundation, wave attack, and erosion coinciding with a hurricane or coastal storm; 
3. flooding associated with tidally influenced portions of rivers, bays, and estuaries that are hydrologically connected to the coastal water body; 
4. a rainfall event of any magnitude or frequency; 
5. a tide of any magnitude or frequency; 
6. seasonal variation in water levels; 
7. groundwater emergence; 
8. sea level rise; 
9. subsidence; or 
10. any other driver of flood risk affecting the area within the geographic scope of the study. 

Congressional leaders have reached a framework agreement on topline funding for the government next year. An omnibus appropriations deal will provide federal agencies with funding that matches the rate of inflation and supports their day-to-day work protecting the public from climate change and toxic chemicals.

As the House and Senate Appropriations Committees complete considerations for a funding package, we urge Congress to include robust budgets for agencies and programs that fight climate change, protect the public from toxic pollution, and support healthy, thriving communities.

“EDF applauds Congressional leadership for reaching a bipartisan deal to fund the government over the next year. Passing an omnibus appropriations bill with robust funding is critical for the agencies we rely on to protect our health and environment while pursuing justice for communities that bear the brunt of legacy pollution and climate change,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs.

(Sacramento, CA – Dec 15, 2022) The California Air Resources Board voted to adopt a new Scoping Plan, a climate roadmap for exceeding its 2030 emissions target and achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2045.

“California leaders are raising climate ambition when it matters most: this decade.

“This new roadmap sets the stage for the state to exceed its 2030 climate goal and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2045, strengthening its leadership role while promoting healthy, thriving communities.

“This plan is a starting point, and the next steps to turn it into real climate, health and economic benefits matter enormously. To deliver on the plan’s promises to Californians, leaders must swiftly adopt and strengthen climate policies through a number of different rulemakings in 2023. Time is of the essence.

“California’s declining cap on economy-wide emissions is an essential tool in turning that near-term ambition into reality, providing a backstop that ensures reductions in climate-warming pollution on time. We look forward to CARB following through on its commitment to set a more stringent cap on emissions and make necessary improvements to the program, including strategies that require polluters to cut air pollution in vulnerable communities.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director, Environmental Defense Fund

Read more about the final Scoping Plan and next steps in this EDF blog.