Complete list of press releases

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today improperly granted Spire STL Pipeline a permanent certificate based solely on claims made by the pipeline owner and its affiliate. Landowners, ratepayers, and other stakeholders with important perspectives on, and experiences with, the project were shut out from commenting or offering evidence about Spire’s most recent claims despite requests to do so. FERC had appropriately granted Spire STL Pipeline a temporary certificate to ensure reliable gas service to customers while it reevaluated the need for the pipeline, and it should have taken that opportunity to create a thorough public process for review of the need for the pipeline, impacts on landowners and ratepayers, and the role of self-dealing in the pipeline’s development. Instead, in spite of the Chair and Commissioners’ recognition of the major failures in their initial approval, and in spite of a unanimous D.C. Circuit ruling vacating Spire STL Pipeline’s certificate because of those failings, FERC has again failed to fulfill its obligation.

“This Spire STL pipeline will impact peoples’ lives for generations to come. Families and businesses are carefully watching every dollar. They deserve a thorough review with meaningful consideration of all input into the reasonableness of the costs of this project in light of Spire’s self-dealing and the real-world impacts of the pipeline. As multiple Commissioners acknowledged today, more than three years after the pipeline went into service landowners still face unaddressed construction damage to a number of farms and residential properties.

“EDF emphasized to FERC the importance of conducting a transparent and rigorous review to address these harms and the other deficiencies in its prior orders. Instead, FERC accepted self-interested claims by the pipeline owner and its affiliate as fact without considering input from any other parties. FERC should reverse its decision to grant the Spire STL Pipeline a new permanent certificate, reopen the proceeding with the temporary certificate still in place to ensure no disruption in gas service, and provide an opportunity for landowners, ratepayers, and other stakeholders to file comments and evidence regarding the new claims made by the pipeline owner and its affiliate. As EDF has consistently stated, the pipeline should be allowed to continue operating through the duration of this necessary review process, to ensure reliable service for customers in the St. Louis area.”

            - Ted Kelly, EDF senior attorney for energy markets and regulation

(WASHINGTON — Dec. 13, 2022) “At Environmental Defense Fund, we know that a diverse team is necessary to ensure a vital Earth for everyone – and that diversity on its own is not enough. We are on a journey to more effectively represent all the places we work and to build equity, inclusion and belonging into every level of our organization.  

“We are taking steps to make transformative change towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, including building our diverse hiring networks, expanding opportunity and conducting a pay equity analysis. Our work with Green 2.0, and this report card, are key to our journey.”  

• Rory Muhammad, Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Environmental Defense Fund 

Read the Green 2.0 2022 NGO and Foundation Transparency Report Card. EDF’s Rory Muhammad, AVP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is available to respond to media inquiries. To get in touch, contact Alyse Rooks.

Dec. 9, 2022 (ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.) -- Today, the Environmental Defense Fund released the fourth and final video of its “Keeping Florida, Florida” series across its digital platforms, showcasing the need and opportunities for coastal resilience in a state increasingly threatened by climate change.

Entitled “Keeping Florida, Florida: Tampa Bay, Florida's Center for Science and Natural Solutions,” the video highlights the importance of science-informed, nature-based practices to address the climate-related threats impacting Tampa Bay.

The video examines how the Sunshine State’s new Flood Hub, a research and forecasting center based at the University of South Florida, will work as a resource for communities looking to strengthen their flood protections across the state. 

It also highlights lessons learned from the devastating flooding caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, which lead to extreme damages in the Tampa Bay area. These storms have revealed the imminent need for resilience investments across the state, leaving Floridians increasingly aware of the growing climate threats they face.

Experts featured in the video include Peter Clark, President of Tampa Bay Watch, Dr. Thomas Frazer, Dean & Professor of the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science and Executive Director of the Florida Flood Hub, and Thomas Ries, Founder of Ecosphere Restoration Institute, Inc. and Vice President of Environmental Science Associates.

During Florida’s upcoming session, legislators will have the chance to rebuild and leverage recent historic action and climate funding from the federal government.

Florida’s leaders can keep Florida resilient for generations to come by:

1. Prioritizing nature-based solutions that are 2-3x more cost effective and are proven to provide enhanced storm surge protections, 
2. Investing in science and modeling to better predict impacts, and 
3. Improving the state’s energy independence and reduce weather outages by strengthening access to solar power.

“If we do not act, Florida will face substantial economic and environmental losses,” said Dawn Shirreffs, Florida Director at EDF. “Investing in nature-based solutions to adapt to sea level rise, storm surge, and increased flooding will protect Florida. EDF is committed to working with communities and leaders to advocate for nature-based solutions that keep Florida, Florida.”

(OMAHA, NE) Farmers Business Network (FBN^®), the global AgTech platform and farmer-to-farmer network, together with Environmental Defense Fund today announced the Regenerative Agriculture Financing (RAF) program, offered through FBN Finance, LLC, will double in size to $50 million in operating lines for the coming season and anticipates originating up to $1 billion in climate-smart operating lines over the next five years. The RAF, which incentivizes farmers who meet climate and soil health benchmarks with lower operating line interest rates, was launched as a $25 million pilot in 2022.

FBN and EDF made the announcement at Farmer2Farmer VI, FBN’s global conference dedicated to bringing thousands of farmers and ranchers together to share their experiences and access the year’s most significant innovations from agronomy, technology, and fintech to help them drive profit potential across their operations.

Last January FBN and EDF announced the launch of the $25 million RAF pilot program with the aim of providing 50 farmers with seasonal lines of credit of up to $5 million. The program quickly became the fastest-selling financial product FBN has ever launched, selling out in just three weeks. Enrollment for the 2023 growing season begins today, with over 20 farmers already on the waitlist and just 50 spots available.

“FBN Finance continues to innovate to bring the best rates and novel products to farmers with the easiest process,” said Dan English,GM FBN Finance. RAF is a perfect example of that mission in action: creating new ways to add value to the farm – and in this case for the environment as well – with new technology. Our goal now is to scale the program rapidly to bring this to as many growers as we can.”

FBN estimates that farmers representing $13 billion of the $60 billion annual operating line of credit market meet RAF eligibility today.

“Connecting data on the environmental and financial performance of farms is essential to integrate the proven value of practices that reduce climate impacts and improve water quality into farm financing,” said Maggie Monast, senior director of climate-smart agriculture at EDF. “The high level of farmer interest in the pilot shows that programs designed to reward farmers for environmental performance through their financing can succeed at scale.”

The RAF was one of the first U.S. agricultural financing programs to incentivize farmers who meet soil health and nitrogen efficiency standards through access to lower rates and fees, as well as agronomic insights to optimize the on-farm benefits of regenerative practices.

How it works         

RAF credit lines replace traditional operating lines with a seasonal line of credit that includes a 0.5% discount from a farmer’s base rate. To qualify, farmers must meet environmental eligibility requirements developed by EDF and backed by peer-reviewed scientific research, including nitrogen management and soil conservation standards.

FBN’s Gradable® platform enables data collection at scale with proprietary technology and will validate regenerative farming practices through its sophisticated analysis techniques. Farmers will input data into FBN’s Gradable(R) platform, which also provides farmers with agronomic guidance to optimize farm production choices. Farmers must agree to provide production data for all enrolled fields for at least three crop years, but do not need to demonstrate a new practice to qualify. This means that farmers who have already invested in regenerative practices such as no-till, cover crops and optimized fertilizer use can participate.

Environmental Defense Fund provides oversight related to the environmental criteria required for RAF eligibility. The criteria are designed to be inclusive of farmers who grow corn, soy and wheat in a variety of geographies and who implement a variety of regenerative practices, while establishing a clear system for monitoring those practices and environmental outcomes, as well as measuring the success of novel financial incentives in the farm finance space.

Row crop agriculture contributes 5% of greenhouse gas emissions from the United States and is the largest emitter of nitrous oxide, a potent gas with 300 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. Scientists estimate that a 21% reduction in row crop emissions is possible in the next 15 years through optimization of currently available technology, and up to a 71% reduction could be achieved through additional innovation.^[1]

Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Regenerative agriculture practices provide an excellent opportunity for farms to build healthy soils which can protect crops from variable rainfall.^[2] Taken together, practices that build soil health and reduce farm inputs have been shown to reduce farm costs and risks while protecting the long-term value of the land.^[3]

With the expansion of RAF, FBN will continue to connect environmental outcomes with the financial performance of the program, creating insights into the relationship between regenerative practices and farm risk and creditworthiness. RAF also provides financial institutions with a new investment opportunity with the potential to scale across millions of acres.

^[1]  Northrup, Daniel L., Basso, Bruno, Wang, Michael Q., Morgan, Cristine L. S., Benfey,  Philip N. Novel technologies for emission reduction complement conservation agriculture to achieve negative emissions from row-crop production. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022666118.

^[2] Kane, Daniel A., Mark A. Bradford, Emma Fuller, Emily E. Oldfield, and Stephen A. Wood. "Soil Organic Matter Protects Us Maize Yields and Lowers Crop Insurance Payouts under Drought." Environmental Research Letters 16, no. 4 (2021/03/16 2021): 044018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe492.

^[3] Environmental Defense Fund, KCoe Isom, and Soil Health Partnership. 2021. Conservation's Impact on the Farm Bottom Line. Retrieved from: https://business.edf.org/files/Conservation-Impact-On-Farm-Bottom-Line-2021.pdf

(WASHINGTON–Dec. 8, 2022) Sustainable seafood grown in United States federal waters is one step closer to being on the menu today as Congress considers a new bipartisan measure — the Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food Act, or SEAfood Act.

The SEAfood Act, introduced by Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47), charts a responsible path forward for growing healthy, sustainable seafood offshore in the U.S. It is the only measure in Congress that lays the groundwork for an equitable and inclusive seafood economy of both farmed and wild-caught fish while prioritizing data and science in the development of offshore aquaculture in the U.S. It will be a critical first step to helping meet growing consumer demand for seafood and create jobs in vulnerable coastal communities in the future.

“We applaud this important step to advance the growth of aquaculture in U.S. federal waters. It’s a responsible, science-backed approach that’s good for the economy, for our domestic seafood industry, for our ocean and for American consumers,” said Eric Schwaab, senior vice president for Environmental Defense Fund. “As the U.S. works to keep pace with global aquaculture growth, we must bring together the most up to date science, industry best practices and diverse local voices to guide us forward.” 

The SEAfood Act will: 

• Charge the Government Accountability Office to produce a report detailing permitting, monitoring, and regulatory options for governing offshore aquaculture in the U.S.
• Direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to complete a study on the scientific basis for efficient and effective regulation of offshore aquaculture.
• Authorize NOAA to create an offshore aquaculture assessment program to gain data from on-the-water demonstration projects that close significant knowledge gaps necessary to determine strong, science-based standards; and  
• Create a grant program, under NOAA, for minority-serving institutions to establish aquaculture centers of excellence to develop or enhance undergraduate and graduate aquaculture curriculum to meet the needs of a growing, domestic, and sustainable aquaculture industry and supply chains, and for career development and extension programs. 

“We must invest in individuals from historically excluded groups, as they are integral to our communities and economies,” said Julie Kuchepatov, founder of Seafood and Gender Equality, or SAGE, as well as a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture. “The SEAfood Act is a long-overdue step in the right direction.”

The development of offshore aquaculture can help meet the growing demand for seafood and add stability to the domestic seafood supply chain, but the U.S. currently lacks a federal regulatory framework and the requisite strong standards needed for sustainable, equitable and profitable offshore aquaculture. The SEAfood Act catalyzes studies to assess the best ways to minimize the risks of developing aquaculture in federal offshore waters and close knowledge gaps needed to develop the right regulatory standards. 

A 2021 survey by Environmental Defense Fund showed significant support for a science-backed approach — 84% of voters support a proposal that would first examine the opportunities and risks of seafood farming in U.S. federal waters before setting high standards and regulations for safe and sustainable aquaculture. Furthermore, Americans have real concerns about the health and environmental impacts on both foreign and domestic aquaculture. But seven in ten Americans would eat more seafood if it were caught or raised in the U.S., if there were higher safety and environmental standards on how farmed fish are produced and if fish came from sustainable sources. 

(Washington, D.C. – December 8, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency challenging the agency’s failure to satisfy its duty under our nation’s clean air laws to protect people and communities from the dangerous pollution emitted by new gas-burning power plants. 

Gas-burning power plants emit multiple pollutants, including climate-destabilizing carbon dioxide and — notably for this case — nitrogen oxides (NO_x), contaminants that contribute to deadly particle pollution and smog. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA must review and revise new source performance standards, our national protections against air pollution from industrial stationary sources like power plants, every eight years. Despite its legal obligation, the agency has not updated its NO_x standards for new gas plants in over 16 years. The current NO_x limits are therefore badly out of date and come nowhere near reflecting the best emission limits achievable through the use of readily available technology. Meanwhile, new gas-burning power plants that do not reflect the best achievable emissions limits are being built across the nation. Until EPA fulfills its legal duty to review and revise those standards, people and communities will continue to suffer from dirtier air.

“Pollution from new gas plants adversely impacts community health and is fueling the climate crisis,” said EDF Lead Counsel Michael Panfil. “EPA’s outdated emission standards do not provide adequate safeguards against the extensive pollution emitted by new gas-burning power plants. We need EPA to take action now to protect public health for all people.”

“Gas-burning power plants present a serious threat to our families and communities, not only driving climate change but also emitting pollution that causes heart and lung ailments, keeps our children out of school, triggers asthma attacks, and increases our risk of harmful diseases,” said Sierra Club Senior Attorney Andres Restrepo. “For years, EPA has failed to revise its NO_x standards for new gas plants, creating a loophole that allows plant developers to avoid installing the best widely available emission control technology. The agency must waste no time in rectifying this error by setting new and appropriately protective safeguards. Nothing less than our lives are at stake.”

The suit was filed last night in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. EPA now has 60 days to respond.

(WASHINGTON — Dec. 2, 2022) Today, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released the final rule to implement two actions in the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery: 1) to calibrate the state-specific red snapper private angler annual catch limits (ACLs) to reflect each state’s monitoring program, and 2) to increase the recreational and commercial sector red snapper ACLs and annual catch targets (ACTs).

“Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) supports this final rule to ensure the red snapper fishery continues to rebuild, that management of the fishery is compliant with federal law, and that fishing levels are sustainable. Throughout the drafting of the State Management Program for Private Recreational Red Snapper, EDF has been supportive of a solution that provides private anglers secure access to the resource while ensuring that each sector adheres to their respective red snapper catch limits, a legally required component to ensure the stock rebuilds and leaves a thriving fishery for future generations. We encourage NMFS and the state fishery agencies in the Gulf to continue working together to update the calibration ratios through science-based decision making to ensure a healthy and abundant red snapper fishery.”

• Sepp Haukebo, Senior Manager, Global Fisheries Initiatives

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) was granted consultative status by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This makes EDF one of few environmental non-governmental organizations able to contribute with its expertise to the United Nation’s specialized agency for shipping. With consultative status, EDF will observe and provide expert input to IMO discussions, supporting the shipping industry and countries to move in the right direction on climate.

“Environmental Defense Fund steps into its consultative status at a pivotal moment, when climate science trajectories show that global shipping emissions must peak and decline within this decade,” said Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President of Energy at EDF. “We are grateful to International Maritime Organization member states for recognizing the added value our organization’s expertise can bring to the table.”

IMO is the sole international agency where countries develop and implement policies to reduce shipping emissions at the global scale. The current goal agreed by countries at IMO is to reduce international shipping emissions by at least half from 2008 levels by 2050.

“The International Maritime Organization has the opportunity – and the obligation – to guide the international shipping industry toward a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said Marie Hubatova, Director of Global Shipping at EDF. “The agency’s current emissions reduction goal is a good start, but due to the urgency of the climate challenge, it must adopt more ambitious climate policies as soon as possible.”

EDF will now be able to join and offer expert input on discussions at IMO. Providing cutting-edge climate science alongside its global perspective and economic expertise, EDF aims to use its consultative status to work more closely with countries on measures to reduce emissions from international shipping, improve air quality in ports, establish robust regulatory frameworks for low and zero-carbon shipping fuels, and ensure environmental justice and equity principles are emphasised during the sector’s green transition.

"Today the Commonwealth of Massachusetts took a big step toward a critically important goal – reaching Net-Zero by 2050 by transitioning to cleaner and more equitable energy for heating our buildings. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs just released a new report that provides a blueprint for reaching that goal. The report released today contains the final recommendations of the Massachusetts Commission on Clean Heat, after more than a year of work, on the best ways to reduce the climate pollution from heating fuels. The report contains bold, concrete actions and recommendations for the Commonwealth to decarbonize equitably and affordably. I was honored to work on this report with my fellow Commissioners. As an important first step, the report provides a detailed map that the Commonwealth can follow to reach a clean energy future for all.”

            - Jolette Westbrook, EDF Director of Energy Markets and Regulation and Commissioner, Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission

You can read more about the new report here.

“Today the Commonwealth of Massachusetts took a big step toward a critically important goal – reaching Net-Zero by 2050 by transitioning to cleaner and more equitable energy for heating our buildings. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs just released a new report that provides a blueprint for reaching that goal.

“The report released today contains the final recommendations of the Massachusetts Commission on Clean Heat, after more than a year of work, on the best ways to reduce the climate pollution from heating fuels. The report contains bold, concrete actions and recommendations for the Commonwealth to decarbonize equitably and affordably.

“I was honored to work on this report with my fellow Commissioners. Although this work is just the first step, it provides a detailed map that the Commonwealth can follow to reach a clean energy future for all.”

            - Jolette Westbrook, EDF Director of Energy Markets and Regulation and Commissioner, Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission

You can read more about the new report here.

“Today we mourn the passing of Representative Donald McEachin and celebrate a leader who took the climate crisis head on to make a better world a reality.

“Rep. McEachin urged us every day to act on climate. He championed ambitious legislation to put the United States on the path to a clean energy future. And he worked tirelessly to build healthy, thriving communities, free of pollution, and to ensure equal environmental protections for everyone in his Virginia district and beyond.

“As an Eagle Scout, Rep. McEachin often said he was fighting to protect our planet for generations to come, to leave it better than he found it. I am awed by his commitment and grateful for his dedicated leadership. He will be missed.”

            - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Western and national conservation groups today said the draft U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane gas waste rule represents an important first step, but must be strengthened to eliminate the unnecessary waste of public and Tribal resources and protect American taxpayers and communities that depend on public land revenue. 

“We need standards that end the waste of taxpayer-owned energy resources that has become far too routine on federal and tribal lands across the U.S.,” said Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory and legislative affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “While BLM’s proposal is an important first step, consistent with its long-standing authority to minimize waste, the Biden administration and Secretary Haaland must go further by setting clear requirements to eliminate waste caused by venting and flaring to safeguard public resources while protecting taxpayers and our energy security.”

The draft waste prevention rule released today assesses royalties on wasted gas and takes some additional steps to curtail waste from routine venting and flaring at oil and gas well sites on federal and tribal lands, but does not include clear waste prevention standards resembling those leading states like New Mexico and Colorado require. By helping ensure operators capture and sell or use associated gas, BLM would conserve domestic energy resources and ensure taxpayers benefit from the development of publicly-owned minerals. Minimizing waste would have the added benefit of lessening oil and gas production’s negative impact on the climate and protecting the health of frontline communities. 

“We must stop methane waste and its negative consequences with rigorous standards to eliminate routine venting and flaring,” said America Fitzpatrick, senior program manager for energy and landscape conservation at National Parks Conservation Association. “Activities like flaring not only waste resources but also damage air quality, health, and visibility, as the light pollution wipes out dark night skies and views of our solar system that visitors seek out in many national parks. An added benefit of ending wasteful venting and flaring of gas on public lands in and around our parks is that it will protect people and these incredible places for our children and grandchildren.”

The BLM has a statutory mandate and longstanding authority to prevent the waste of public and Tribal resources. The Mineral Leasing Act directs BLM to require that operators on federal and tribal lands “use all reasonable precautions to prevent waste of oil or gas” (30 U.S.C § 225). The Bureau has proposed what is primarily a royalty-based approach to discourage wasted gas, though many oil and gas companies operating on federal and Tribal lands have simply accepted royalty payments as part of the cost of doing business. The Bureau could draw on waste prevention protections similar to those in state rules in New Mexico and Colorado to strengthen its primarily royalty-based approach, further reduce wasteful venting and flaring, and better protect communities.

“Now is the time to eliminate harmful methane waste from oil and gas development on our public lands,” said Ben Tettlebaum, director & senior staff attorney at The Wilderness Society. "BLM must go further by eliminating waste from routine venting and flaring, which at the same time benefits our climate and communities’ health.”

According to the Biden administration, oil and gas operators vented or flared approximately 150 billion cubic feet of methane in 2019 — or about $400 million of natural gas on federal and Tribal lands. That is enough natural gas to meet the needs of 2.1 million households, which is nearly as many households as the states of New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming have combined.

That $400 million of wasted gas also means tens of millions of dollars in lost royalty revenue, much of which would have important conservation benefits to some western states that seek to offset or mitigate the impacts of energy development as well as potential federal funding for much-needed water conservation projects and projects to reduce water consumption.

“It is difficult to think of another situation in which geopolitical, economic, environmental, and human health interests so effortlessly harmonize as they do in the case of methane waste,” said Melissa Hornbein, senior attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center. “The Bureau of Land Management has a unique opportunity with this rule to simultaneously promote U.S. energy independence, protect taxpayer-owned resources, while also addressing the climate crisis and protecting human health. To do so, however, the Bureau must look beyond royalties and reinforce the agency’s clear authority — as outlined in the rule — to take specific and affirmative steps to eliminate the waste of gas caused by venting and flaring. We are encouraged by the preliminary additional safeguards articulated by the rule but those provisions must clearly articulate the Bureau’s duty, in addition to its authority, to tackle waste from venting and flaring.”

The U.S. must go further to ensure we are a global leader in reducing methane pollution. Fortunately, the BLM has the authority and obligation to implement strong rules that end wasteful routine venting and flaring.

Starting with June’s Major Economies Forum — one of the last major climate gatherings before COP 27 in Egypt — signatories to the Global Methane Pledge introduced a new goal to eliminate routine flaring as soon as possible, and by 2030 at the latest.

Then in July, the U.S. and Mexico announced a commitment to cooperate and help Mexico develop a plan to eliminate routine flaring in alignment with the Global Methane Pledge.

Fast action to eliminate routine flaring is critical for reducing the needless waste of energy resources as the world faces an energy crisis spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — in addition to the important co-benefits of protecting our air and safeguarding our climate.

President Biden himself remarked that "climate security and energy security go hand in hand," and added that by stopping the “flaring of the super potent greenhouse gas and capturing this resource for countries that need it, we're addressing two problems at once."

In fact, EDF analysis has shown that comprehensive efforts to curb natural gas waste by eliminating routine flaring in the U.S. alone could provide over half of the gas the Biden administration has committed to Europe.

Analysis from Rystad Energy has found that solutions for operators to address flaring and capture this otherwise wasted gas are both readily available and cost-effective, and in many cases even profitable.

An array of oil and gas operators have committed to end routine flaring. To name a few: ExxonMobil has committed to end routine flaring across its assets in the Permian Basin by 2022, BP has committed to end routine flaring by 2025 in its U.S. onshore operations, while many more have signed on to the World Bank’s goal of ending routine flaring worldwide by 2030.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

Robin Cooley, Deputy Managing Attorney, Rocky Mountain Office of Earthjustice
“It is the very definition of ‘waste’ to allow oil and gas companies to needlessly burn our federal and tribal gas in the pursuit of maximum profits. Yet the federal government’s long overdue proposal fails to take the steps necessary to prevent such waste. This failure comes at the expense of communities who suffer the harmful noise, air, and light pollution associated with rampant flaring.”

Barbara Vasquez, Oil and Gas Team Chair, Western Organization of Resource Councils
“Wasteful and routine venting and flaring of methane on public and Tribal lands is simply irresponsible governance. It’s abundantly clear that charging royalties on wasted gas and more planning wont’ be enough.”

Mark Magana, Founding President and CEO, GreenLatinos
“I am encouraged by the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) commitment to move forward with improvements on this important rule. Regulating methane waste from the fossil fuel industry is not only important for the climate but will also provide major economic and health co-benefits to the Latino/a/e community. I urge BLM to eliminate the harmful practice of routine venting and flaring which creates waste and can contribute to localized air pollution in communities living near active oil and gas operations. This rule provides important co-benefits like protecting the health and wellbeing of Latino/a/xs at risk and in the proximity to active oil and gas operations. We are ready for BLM to make the regulatory strides needed to ensure our communities are safe and healthy.” 

(Washington, D.C. – November 22, 2022) The U.S. Department of Labor today finalized standards that will help retirement fund managers better protect people’s retirement savings from all types of financial risks, including those related to climate change.

“Climate change poses a serious and growing threat to our economy and financial systems,” said EDF climate risk and financial regulations attorney Stephanie Jones. “The standards finalized today restore a longstanding regulatory framework that retirement fund managers can use to protect Americans’ financial futures, and they reaffirm that those managers can consider all risks – including climate-related risks – when making investment decisions. That will help retirement fund managers make the best possible decisions when investing our money.”

The standards are called Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights. They received widespread support from the public and from a range of experts – including EDF – when they were proposed last year

(SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt) The annual United Nations climate talks (COP27) concluded Sunday in Egypt with some progress on technical issues and agreement on funding arrangements for loss and damage, including the creation of a loss and damage fund that will, in time, provide financing for developing countries that have been hit with irrevocable damages from climate change. Countries also reiterated they should strive to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

Environmental Defense Fund’s Executive Vice President for Impact, Angela Churie Kallhauge, issued the following statement:

“We’re not walking away from Sharm El-Sheikh empty handed. Despite moments in the two weeks where it seemed consensus was not possible, parties overcame political and organizational challenges and agreed on key milestones. 

“The new fund for loss and damage established in the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan is historic, and a testament to the unwavering efforts of so many people focused for decades on supporting countries particularly vulnerable to climate change. But the work is not done. 

“It takes time to stand up a new fund and resource it, meaning it may be years before those countries see a dollar from the new fund. Political will is needed to shorten the timeframe for when countries actually receive money from this fund. The decision acknowledges that other funding arrangements can support loss and damage.

“To get to the levels needed to address loss and damage, countries should not lose sight of opportunities already at hand that can build the much-needed fiscal space and leverage funding at scale. There are things governments can already do now to alleviate fiscal pressure on particularly vulnerable countries. This means the new fund must be complemented by systemic changes that will help countries restructure their finances and economies to be more resilient to climate change. 

“On carbon markets (Article 6), countries were able to reach a compromise on the decision text that provides some additional clarity on how countries can use cooperative approaches to meet their emissions targets under the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, many issues are left to be decided at upcoming COPs. These additional details to be resolved should not delay the timely operation of international carbon market mechanisms. In the meantime, countries should continue to move ahead with bilateral trading approaches, confident that rules are in place for a robust, transparent and accountable carbon market that promotes more and faster climate ambition and creates a further avenue for finance flows from developed to developing countries. We look forward to the remaining details on Article 6 being agreed to next year.

“We welcome that the COP decision encourages the use of nature-based solutions, calls for action on deforestation, and establishes a work program on climate action and agriculture and food security. This underscores the importance of comprehensive solutions that address more than one challenge at a time.

“Though it can be tempting to question the value of the global climate negotiations after this measured progress, in this time of war and economic disruption, the value of these talks goes beyond the written outcome. There’s inherent benefit in countries sitting down with each other, being transparent and being held accountable to their commitments. 

“Outside the negotiations, we saw significant creativity and enthusiasm around solutions and new initiatives. We also saw an unwavering commitment to ensure that progress is robust and real and that commitments are followed through with real action.

• The UN High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities gave guidance to business to ensure net zero pledges and action are rigorous. This includes establishing goals in line with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees; using high-integrity carbon credits; and investing in protecting nature beyond a company’s value chain.
• There were vibrant conversations on how to protect nature and advance climate-smart solutions to food, water and agriculture. 
• The Energy Transition Accelerator announced by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry is a promising initiative that uses the power of carbon markets to support a just energy transition away from fossil fuels in developing countries in a way that helps workers and communities. 
• The Indonesian Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), announced at the G20 Summit in Bali, aims to support the country’s transition away from coal and toward a clean and just power sector. Public financing will help de-risk and pave the way for scaled-up private sector financing.
• The Africa Carbon Market Initiative will significantly expand Africa’s engagement in the voluntary carbon market, and drive investment into areas including clean energy and reducing deforestation. 
• Countries under the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership committed to holding each other accountable on their pledge to end deforestation by 2030. Adopting natural climate solutions, mobilizing financing for nature, and collaborating with Indigenous People and local communities will be crucial to meet this goal. 
• The Global Methane Pledge has grown to 150 countries committed to reducing methane emissions, which is the fastest way to slow warming this decade. 

“With the outcome from Sharm El-Sheikh, we still have a monumental challenge ahead, but also have clarity on next steps and some new tools to help turn commitments into concrete action. We need to continue to find solutions that address more than one problem at the same time – climate and energy poverty, water and food scarcity, clean energy and energy security, limiting pollution and adapting to the warming we can’t avoid.”

• Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President for Impact 

(LONDON, U.K.) – A joint study released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Lloyd’s Register (LR) and Ricardo PLC, examines the potential marine environmental impacts of ammonia spills during its use as a shipping fuel. 

Ammonia generated from renewable energy is considered a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels as the shipping industry decarbonizes. The study, which used extensive modelling due to the scarcity of real-world data, focuses specifically on the impacts of large ammonia fuel spill scenarios on marine habitats.  

Potential effects on aquatic environments and associated ecological receptors were assessed in scenarios if a spill were to occur during bunkering, or in the case of a ship’s collision and sinking. In addition, possible mitigation measures and specific spill management practices for these scenarios were modelled and studied. 

“The shipping industry must make a rapid energy transition to address the climate emergency. But it is also clear that we must proceed with caution. We owe it to future generations to ensure we are championing true climate solutions that will not negatively impact our rivers, our oceans or our health,” said Marie Hubatova, Director of Global Shipping for EDF's Global Transport team.  

The study examined potential ammonia fuel spills during bunkering and collision scenarios, under a variety of conditions, including time of day, temperature, humidity and solar radiation. The outputs were tested across eight habitats (rivers, estuaries, wetlands, coastal waters, coral reefs, mangroves, polar regions and the deep sea) using multiple ecological receptors (bacteria, plankton, macrophytes, invertebrates, fish, birds, reptiles, and marine mammals).  

The study found that estuaries, mangroves and wetlands are particularly sensitive to potential ammonia fuel spills compared to the polar regions and the deep sea. Within these habitats, it is typically fish which are most sensitive to an ammonia spill, with birds and mammals to a lesser degree.  

Lauren Dawson, Senior Consultant, Water and Environment Practice, Ricardo, said: “Examining the impact of ammonia is a challenge because of the vast conditions a ship might face while at sea or even when bunkered. Critical factors to consider include the various ship and storage types, the underlying principles which determine the fate of ammonia in the environment, and the diversity of aquatic habitats and species that could be affected. Ultimately, what we found is that ammonia is more threatening to fish species, and particularly to ecosystems with less saline water and higher temperatures. It is therefore important to study the impact of ammonia carefully for particular regions where these habitats intersect with major shipping channels and ports, such as the Strait of Malacca. The findings of the report provide an excellent step forward to delivering a baseline upon which future assessments can be refined.” 

The results were then compared to previously studied habitat and species sensitivity to conventional oil-based fuels. Overall, an ammonia spill has a relatively smaller dispersion distance and lower persistence within the environment when compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine gas oil (MGO).  

Existing reports show that oil-based fuels have higher impacts on invertebrates and birds, compared with ammonia. Ammonia has a medium impact on all other ecological receptors, except bacteria, whereas oil-based fuels have medium impacts on plankton, fish, macrophytes, reptiles and marine mammals (see the Table summarizing the environmental impact level in page 5 of our summary report).  

While the maritime industry has prior experience with ammonia transported in gas carriers and used as refrigerant, the introduction of ammonia as a shipping fuel creates new challenges related to safe bunkering, storage, supply and consumption for different ship types. The potential toxicity of ammonia cannot be ignored; without mitigation measures and solid spill management practices, an ammonia fuel spill could have negative impacts on aquatic environments. Therefore, a robust regulatory framework must be developed for ammonia to be a viable, low carbon alternative for shipping. 

“There are many questions around the use of ammonia as a shipping fuel. Studies like this support the industry’s understanding of the environmental impacts as well as the operational and safety challenges. Greater clarity about the risks posed to marine ecosystems will allow industry stakeholders to make better informed decisions on the multiple transition pathways under consideration,” said Andy Franks, Senior Risk Specialist, LR Maritime Decarbonization Hub. 

This study presents a first look at ammonia's potential ecological impacts as a fuel. Further research is needed to evaluate the full range of ecological and health implications (especially to a ship’s crew) of ammonia, including the increased nitrogen deposition from chronic ammonia leakage and combustion by-products to determine its safety. 

“All future fuels come with specific challenges. We have been using oil to power ships for almost a century now and we had to learn how to do so in a safe way. We can't go through the same process with ammonia,” said EDF’s Hubatova. “We have to make sure we get it right from the very beginning. A robust regulatory framework and good management practices are essential for the safe use of ammonia.” 

Depending upon its safety, ammonia produced with renewable energy is already projected as one of the possible main future fuels of shipping. It is estimated that maritime shipping emits approximately 1 056 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per annum and is responsible for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.