Complete list of press releases

(CHICAGO, IL) Today a coalition of 17 states, the District of Columbia and Quebec signed off on an action plan that will provide state leaders a roadmap to achieve 30% zero-emission truck sales by 2030 and 100% sales no later than 2050, while directly tackling deadly climate and air pollution from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

“Putting more zero-emission trucks on our roads will save lives and improve rates of childhood asthma, while also reducing climate pollution,” said Larissa Koehler, Director, Vehicle Electrification & Senior Attorney. “As Americans suffer extreme heat and record ozone days across the country this summer, the time to act on climate and air pollution is now. This plan gives states the roadmap they need to get to work; now states need to take the reins and plot a path to 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2035 and develop a transparent process that centers equity to achieve this goal."

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are only about four percent of all cars and trucks on U.S. roads, but they are responsible for more than a quarter of all climate pollution from the transportation sector. They are also a substantial source of nitrogen oxide emissions, which are a main component of unhealthy smog and linked to an increase in childhood asthma, heart disease and premature death. People of color and those with lower incomes bear this health burden disproportionately, because they live near truck corridors and other sources of transportation pollution – often a product of discriminatory housing policies.

The action plan lists 1) state adoption of vehicle sales and purchase requirements, and 2) vehicle and infrastructure purchase incentives as among the top actions for states to cut deadly diesel pollution. These include:

• The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation establishes manufacturer zero-emission truck sales requirements, which have already been adopted by six states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington) representing about 20% of the U.S. medium- and heavy-duty vehicle marketplace.
• The Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus regulation to reduce NOx and PM emissions from heavy-duty fossil fuel trucks helps the market transition to cleaner technologies as the gradual shift to electric trucks moves forward. This standard has been adopted by three states (California, Massachusetts, and Oregon) and several more are in the rulemaking process (Washington and Vermont).
• Deployment of infrastructure through public and private investment that can support the transition to 100% sales of zero-emission trucks and buses, and is structured to prioritize deployment in the communities that stand to benefit most from air quality improvements.
• Financial mechanisms, including incentives and tariffed on-bill financing that can help mitigate the currently higher upfront cost of zero-emission trucks. These mechanisms should be tailored to help small businesses, businesses owned by women and people of color and independent owner-operators.

The Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Task Force has been working since 2020 to develop this action plan, a process that’s been spearheaded by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).

Over the next year, states should seek to develop plans that tailor NESCAUM’s model to their unique needs – and states that have not yet joined the multi-state agreement still have the opportunity. Alongside a 2035 sales target, this might detail cross-agency coordination, a plan to work with utilities in the state, and identifying how to work with underserved and pollution-burdened communities most effectively and authentically. Once state plans detailing policies that achieve a jurisdiction’s overarching goal are developed, government leaders will then be tasked with implementing them to support the rapid adoption of zero-emission trucks.

(SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - 21 July, 2022) During a side event at Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW), government representatives from Chile and New Zealand expressed interest in and support for exploring the creation of a Climate Action Team agreement between the two countries.  

A ‘Climate Action Team’ is a cooperative mechanism within Article 6.2. of the Paris Agreement, made up of one 'host' country and one or more 'partner' countries. Under a multi‐year agreement, the partners will support the host country to accelerate climate action and decarbonization efforts beyond its own national climate goals (Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC) and create social benefits. Partners are rewarded by claiming credits for the emission reductions generated through the Climate Action Team. 

"I see that this instrument (Climate Action Teams) is very positive for Chile,” said Nicolás Grau, Chile’s Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, in response to the LACCW side event. “It will allow us to move towards a green economy faster and it will also allow us to adopt new technologies and financial support more quickly.”  

The side event, co-hosted by the Government of Chile, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), The World Bank, and the Corporate Leaders Group for Climate Action – CLG Chile discussed how a pilot of the Climate Action Teams model between Chile and New Zealand could accelerate both decarbonization and green recovery. During the event, EDF released a new report that analyzed modeling results of potential greenhouse gas reductions beyond Chile’s current NDC. 

The report found that Chile needs to implement additional mitigation efforts in order to fulfill its NDC in relation to its carbon budget. A set of additional mitigation actions would allow Chile to fulfill its 2020–30 carbon budget and even overachieve it.  

"Initiatives such as Climate Action Teams can help to quickly reactivate the carbon market, which would allow driving innovation and technological development through international cooperation, in line with the fulfillment of our climate commitments and with a view to achieving neutrality by 2050, mainly activating private sector actions. It is key that we know how this operates in practice and how our countries can benefit from this type of mechanism" said Jenny Mager, Chief of the Climate Change Division of the Chile’s Ministry of the Environment. 

Preliminary results from the report’s modelling based on different carbon prices suggest that 70% of the 62 MtCO2e could be obtained at a marginal cost of less than US$50/tCO2e. In addition, estimates of the capital cost required to achieve this 70% is about US$2.8 billion. Climate Action Teams provides a mechanism that could unlock investment to help overachieve Chile’s current NDC commitment, while also providing significant co-benefits such as reducing local atmospheric pollution and improving public health. 

“Mechanisms such as Climate Action Teams, both with respect to the possibility of incorporating technical capacity and financing to be able to achieve those projects that are within our long-term plan, are fundamental,” said Claudio Castro, Mayor of the Municipality of Renca, Chile, in response to the LACCW side event. “Financing is key, the technical capacity is not installed today in the municipalities, and in both cases we believe that this can be a fundamental contribution that makes the difference between meeting our objective or not meeting it.” 

Representing a potential partner country, New Zealand would provide support to host countries, which includes committed funding for the purchase of a specific volume of carbon credits, technical support for mitigation activities, or connections to investors. In exchange, partner countries can claim credible emissions reductions (international transferred mitigation outcomes, ITMOs) beyond the host country’s NDC. 

"When we look at Climate Action Teams, they tick all our boxes. In particular, it offers an opportunity to work directly with our partners to achieve the outcomes that we and they need. Climate Action Teams also offer opportunities to engage New Zealand experts to contribute to partner's climate action and establish cooperative technical relationships of their own efforts,” said Anna Broadhurst, Climate Advisor to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. “New Zealand and Chile have a lot in common, our negotiators have worked together for decades seeking an ambitious and effective multi-lateral response to climate change. There are lots of reasons to be excited about Climate Action Teams—New Zealand certainly is.” 

International cooperation through market-based instruments, such as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, if designed well, has the potential to reduce the cost of implementing NDCs by more than half to US$250 billion per annum, or increase the amount of emissions removed by 5 GtCO2 a year, by 2030. 

“Developing economies will be the source of over 70% of CO2 emissions by 2050. We have a global responsibility to work together and share resources to mitigate climate impact while also supporting equitable development and creating social co-benefits,” said Suzi Kerr, Chief Economist, Environmental Defense Fund. “Climate Action Teams create a path to channel resources to low-income countries to design an ambitious mitigation strategy that meets their own needs.” 

“The proposal has very clear advantages. It puts an end to the idea of project-based additionality, which is a source of distortions and very questionable negotiations. I think it reduces the transaction costs involved in project-by-project initiatives and that whole industry of additionality and engineering that goes on a project-by-project basis. And it opens up the possibility of recognizing the contribution of policies and measures at the national level,” said José Luis Samaniego, Director of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC. 

Facilitating cooperation to raise climate ambition is a key priority for the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). The World Bank is spearheading several initiatives together with other MDBs that aim at ensuring that client countries can benefit from markets without negatively impacting their ability to meet their NDCs, among them the Climate Warehouse and the Climate Market Club.   

“The Climate Warehouse seeks to improve the connectedness of carbon markets and increase transparency and trust by aggregating market information in a meta-data layer. This effort, along with the Climate Market Club, which brings together MDBs and national governments to jointly work through the modalities of piloting activities under Article 6.2, will support the next generation of carbon markets.” said Lucas Belenky, Climate Change Specialist for the World Bank. 

The private sector also plays a role in Climate Action Teams. Although the private sector cannot directly be a party to a CAT agreement but can participate by helping to reduce emissions in the host country, which will eventually deliver ITMOs to partner countries, or by purchasing ITMOs from partner countries to meet voluntary climate goals or legal obligations.  

"The climatic urgency we are experiencing is unprecedented and must move us with determination to concrete actions to stop its progress. At Statkraft, we see renewable energies as the only solution to face this challenge, and that is why we are committed to generating it without emissions and promoting power electrification. To advance towards this goal, we must work in coordination between the private and public worlds, and spaces such as the Climate Action Teams can be a great contribution in this direction,” said María Teresa González, General Manager of Statkraft Chile, member of the Corporate Leaders Group for Climate Action - CLG Chile. 

For more, read the full report with modelling data on Chile's NDC here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4168343 

(Washington, D.C.- July 21, 2022) As communities across coasts face growing threats from climate change, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today advanced legislation that would provide funding for vital solutions to increase climate resilience. The Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act would direct funding to the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund from revenue generated by offshore wind production and expand restoration funding for the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast by eliminating the revenue sharing cap under the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. This legislation advances after the Biden Administration announced plans to expand wind development in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters offshore the southeastern United States.  

“Our coastal communities are facing increased pressure from climate change through rising seas and stronger hurricanes. We must act now with proactive investments in bold solutions that can address these risks and bolster community resilience before the worst effects of climate change take hold. The RISEE Act provides an important opportunity to dedicate funding to solutions that will harness nature as a vital buffer for communities from storms and sea level rise, while also improving quality of life, creating jobs and enhancing water quality. Senators Whitehouse and Cassidy represent coastal states at extreme risk from climate change, and their leadership in advancing this legislation will help all coastal states be better prepared.”    

Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund 

(WASHINGTON – Jul. 20, 2022) A newly launched organization called Frontline Resource Institute (FRI, pronounced “free”) is providing $1 million to organizations serving frontline communities – those impacted first and worst by climate change and environmental disruption -- so that they can do what they do best: advocate for their fundamental rights to healthy and safe environments. Funding will be used by community leaders to create durable, effective and equitable climate solutions that address the dire circumstances wrought by climate change and environmental disruption.

“Until recently, big green organizations underestimated the value of frontline community-based solutions to help solve our climate crisis,” said Dr. Margot Brown, EDF’s vice president of Justice and Equity. “FRI will serve as a resource for communities to grow and strategize climate solutions on their own terms.”

FRI is a new institution developed by a Conceptual Committee of eleven individuals representing communities from Manila, Philippines, to St. James Parish, Louisiana, and beyond. Together with Vernice Miller-Travis, a pioneering environmental justice thought leader, committee members contribute a diversity of opinions, perspectives and approaches to environmental justice and climate justice work.

“I’ve waited decades for green groups and EJ groups to collaborate meaningfully at the level that FRI represents. But the urgency of the climate crisis is forcing us to think and act in different ways,” said Vernice Miller-Travis, EVP and Environmental Justice Lead of the Metropolitan Group. “May we emerge via FRI with a commitment to focus our energy and resources on the people and places under the greatest threat.”

EDF is proud to provide in-kind support to the Frontline Resource Institute and to support FRI’s mission to support frontline communities and build a world where all can achieve healthy, safe and sustainable environments.

FRI is releasing inaugural grant opportunities through a Collective Action Fund at the Tides Foundation totaling up to $1 million. Learn more at our upcoming webinar on Thursday, July 21 at 2pm ET.

(Washington, D.C.) Clean hydrogen is increasingly seen by governments and industry as the Holy Grail of climate-friendly energy solutions, with vast sums flowing into this emerging sector. But a new study warns that hydrogen is a leak-prone gas with a potent warming effect that is widely overlooked, even by experts. If hydrogen is to achieve the environmental benefits that its backers promise, these climate scientists say comprehensive measures are needed to keep it from escaping to the atmosphere. 

The analysis appears today in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

“Hydrogen itself poses a greater warming risk than decision-makers realize. For ‘clean’ hydrogen to provide the hoped-for climate benefits, leakage has to be kept extremely low,” said Dr. Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist at EDF and lead author of the study. “This is not a place to rush blindly. The process needs to be carefully designed and managed effectively from end to end.” 

Scientists have long known that hydrogen triggers indirect warming effects when released into the atmosphere. But utilizing recent atmospheric research, the authors show that its near-term warming power is two to six times greater than previously recognized.

Comparing against a mix of fossil fuels, scientists from Environmental Defense Fund assess the climate impact of hydrogen made either by using renewable electricity or from natural gas with the residual carbon dioxide emissions captured and stored – the two most widely anticipated methods for producing climate-friendly hydrogen.

Climate benefit depends on leakage

In best-case scenarios assuming a 1% leak rate across the value chain, they find that “blue” hydrogen made from natural gas (with the carbon dioxide captured and 1% methane leakage from the gas supply chain) could cut warming effects compared to traditional fossil fuels by 70% percent over 20 years. “Green” hydrogen produced using zero-emission electricity does even better, cutting the climate impact by over 95%.

But at a 10% hydrogen leak rate – which many scientists say is plausible – blue hydrogen (with carbon capture and 3% methane leakage) could actually increase the 20-year warming impact by 25%. “Green” hydrogen produced would still reduce the 20-year warming effects by two-thirds relative to fossil fuels, but far less than the climate-neutral promise that many hydrogen champions claim.

Implications for hydrogen strategy

Use-case is also important. Prior research suggests deployment of green hydrogen can require two to fourteen times more energy than available alternatives that use direct electrification.

“If the goal is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions cheaply, it makes no sense to divert clean electricity from the grid to make hydrogen for use in cars, homes or commercial buildings, where in almost all cases clean electricity can serve these energy needs directly” said EDF Chief Scientist Dr. Steven Hamburg and coauthor of the paper.

As the smallest molecule on earth, hydrogen is difficult to contain. Extensive measurements of methane emissions from the natural gas value chain show that there is often significant leakage. If methane is hard to manage, hydrogen will be harder still. Existing equipment will likely not be up to the task.

Hydrogen is most appropriate where other low-carbon options are lacking, such as steel and cement production, or as feedstock for low-carbon fuels for ships and planes. And since transporting hydrogen will increase the risk of leaks, it will make more sense to produce it close to where it’s used.

“It’s vitally important that both industry and policy-makers understand these realities before building tens of billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure that won’t deliver the climate benefits we’re counting on,” Hamburg said.   

Overlooked warming power

Two factors account for the increased warming impact of hydrogen in the atmosphere reported in the paper. First is a use of a fuller understanding in the latest scientific literature of the effects that hydrogen causes in the atmosphere. Second is the time scale used.

Hydrogen doesn’t remain in the atmosphere as long as other climate pollutants, and its warming effects disappear after about two decades. But climate impacts are nearly always calculated over a 100-year timeframe, masking the damage caused by escaped hydrogen in the near term. To appropriately account for that effect, Hamburg and Ocko say it is critical to evaluate and report hydrogen’s climate effects over a 20-year timeframe as well.

In June, the U.S. Department of Energy announced an $8 billion plan to establish hydrogen hubs around the country. Hydrogen figures prominently in European climate efforts. More than a dozen other national governments have adopted hydrogen strategies. Companies have announced hundreds of hydrogen projects worth at least $600 billion.

“The choices we make today will determine the kind of world we leave our children and grandchildren. We can’t give up on negotiations when the stakes are so high and there is still an opportunity to reach agreement on climate solutions. President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Manchin have expressed support for a major package of climate and clean energy investments. Now they must come together to put us on path toward a clean energy future that modernizes our economy, creates jobs, advances environmental justice and stabilizes the climate.  The President has called climate change a ‘code red’ emergency for our future. This is not the moment to give up. It is the time to get a deal done.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(RALEIGH, NC -- July 15, 2022) - New analysis from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Rural Beacon Initiative (RBI) shows that joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) can be an integral tool for North Carolina to cost-effectively reduce emissions and meet the state’s carbon reduction goals. 

North Carolina has taken important steps to combat climate change, including initiating a rulemaking to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the passage of bipartisan energy legislation, House Bill 951 (HB 951), and Gov Cooper’s Executive Order 246 committing the state to better incorporate equity into climate solutions. The rulemaking to join RGGI and HB 951 has initiated complementary regulatory proceedings, both with the goal of reducing power-sector carbon pollution 70% by 2030. This analysis, which draws upon past and current results in RGGI participating states and the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan’s “A-1” report, demonstrates that when combined with HB 951, which requires a Carbon Plan, joining RGGI can be a highly-effective method to achieve the state’s carbon reduction goals in a more durable, cost-effective and equitable manner.

“This new analysis shows that, implemented alongside HB 951, RGGI offers the opportunity to reach North Carolina’s carbon reduction goals with greater certainty and lower costs while achieving deeper pollution reductions in the near-term,” said Alex DeGolia, EDF Director of State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. “Given the ever-increasing costs of climate change and the Supreme Court’s recent decision limiting EPA’s ability to reduce power plant emissions, it is critical for states to take all available action to secure more durable and equitable progress now. North Carolina can’t miss this important opportunity to deliver for communities and help lead in the fight against climate change.”

“RGGI offers an opportunity to provide North Carolina with a larger set of tools to better support an equitable clean energy transition, but only if NC leaders choose to establish explicit protections for disproportionately burdened communities and to direct revenues towards protecting customers,” said William Barber III, CEO & Founder of Rural Beacon Initiative. "RGGI can help North Carolina reduce carbon pollution more effectively and affordably, but leaders must listen to communities and uphold commitments made through EO 246 to implement meaningful solutions that promote a more equitable and prosperous future for all North Carolina communities.”

While HB 951 and RGGI promote reducing carbon pollution and accelerating the transition to a clean economy, serious consideration must be given to ensure that policies do not perpetuate existing inequities and that substantial benefits flow directly to disproportionately burdened communities. 

Key findings of the analysis include:

• By pricing carbon pollution, RGGI provides a least-cost pathway to achieving the goals of HB 951 and helps reduce the risk of overinvestment in polluting power plants;
• RGGI provides greater year-over-year pollution reductions, helping to ensure the state achieves the carbon pollution goals established by HB 951 with near-term pollution reduction providing greater overall climate benefits;
• A combined approach between RGGI and HB 951 could secure three times greater cumulative emissions reductions by 2030, compared to HB 951 alone; and, 
• RGGI funds could provide the state with the opportunity to enhance economic development, promote a more equitable clean energy transition and help reduce customer bills. For example, RGGI states’ 2020 energy efficiency investments are estimated to return about $1.2 billion (2020$) in lifetime energy bill savings, a return of over six times, to participating households and businesses in the region.

View the analysis here.

(Washington, D.C. – July 13, 2022) U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today reintroduced the Public Health Air Quality Act of 2022, a bill that would strengthen air quality monitoring in communities near industrial sources of pollution.

“A lack of adequate air pollution monitoring is a direct threat to the health of millions of people who live with unhealthy air. The Public Health Air Quality Act would expand the number of air pollution monitors, especially at key industrial facilities, and prioritize placement of those monitors in communities in harm’s way.

“The Public Health Air Quality Act would also provide for expanded use of satellite data — a new and powerful resource that should be more accessible to communities — and ensure pollution data gets put to immediate use to protect public health.

“Expanding air pollution monitoring is especially important for communities of color and low-income communities that have for too long borne the burden of air pollution because of their proximity to high-polluting petrochemical facilities and other industrial sources.  If we hope to build a just, equitable and livable future for everyone, our communities and policy makers need better access to information that can hold polluters accountable, lead to community-empowered solutions, and end policies that create vulnerabilities.

“It is crucial that everyone has information about the air they breathe, and we thank Rep. Blunt Rochester, Sen. Duckworth and Congressional environmental justice leaders for their leadership in prioritizing the health of our communities.”

● Vickie Patton, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund

(Austin, TX) Today, the Texas grid operator asked that Texans voluntarily reduce their energy use as temperatures reach record highs across the state. 

“Many Texans woke up this morning feeling anxious about whether the power would stay on this afternoon. This heat is not an aberration — climate change means it’s becoming our day-to-day reality,” said EDF Texas Political Director Colin Leyden. “Wind and solar power this week are in-line with the state’s projections and past performance — and advanced clean energy has proven essential in lowering Texans’ energy bills and providing the cheap, clean electricity that families and employers desperately need.

“But clearly, more needs to be done — especially since traditional coal and gas-fired power plants are proving to be less reliable than advertised.

“Texas must quickly adopt cost-efficient solutions that will fortify our grid and protect consumers struggling with high power bills. As a fast-growing state and the world's energy capital, we need to double down on our clean energy leadership. We also need to invest in innovative solutions such as energy efficiency improvements that protect homes from extreme weather, new energy generation and transmission investments, and things like rooftop solar panels that help people generate their own electricity and reduce demand on the grid.” 

Leading environmental groups are calling for the U.S. Senate to confirm President Biden’s nominee for a key EPA office, a long overdue action that they describe as “an immediate step that the Senate can take in the aftermath of last week’s Supreme Court decision … curtailing the Agency’s ability to address climate change.”

David Uhlmann was nominated more than a year ago to head EPA’s enforcement and compliance office – the office that holds companies accountable when they break environmental laws and ensures that polluters, not taxpayers, cover the cost of cleaning up Superfund hazardous waste sites. Uhlmann has broad and bipartisan support from both the environmental and law enforcement communities and from senior EPA and Justice Department officials who served in Senate-confirmed positions under the last six Presidents.

The leaders of Environmental Defense Fund, Earthjustice, League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, and Natural Resources Defense Council are calling for prioritizing his confirmation. You can read their full statement below.

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As leaders of the largest environmental groups in the United States, we join together to urge the United States Senate to prioritize floor time to confirm David M. Uhlmann to serve as the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at EPA, more than a year after President Biden first nominated him in June 2021.  Mr. Uhlmann is exceptionally well-qualified, and his confirmation will allow EPA to better protect vulnerable communities from the harmful effects of pollution and ensure that all Americans have access to safe drinking water.  His confirmation also will allow EPA to increase its efforts to enforce existing climate regulations, an immediate step that the Senate can take in the aftermath of last week’s Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. EPA curtailing the Agency’s ability to address climate change.

For too long, the EPA has been without a permanent leader in this critically important enforcement role.  Every additional day of delay harms the environment, the climate, and vulnerable communities. We urge the United States Senate to schedule Mr. Uhlmann’s confirmation vote before the August recess.  

• Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund
• Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice
• Gene Karpinski, president of League of Conservation Voters
• Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation
• Manish Bapna, president and CEO of Natural Resources Defense Council

(Washington, D.C. — July 8, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) are launching a joint ad demanding climate action through the clean energy investments Congress is considering. The ad amplifies President Biden’s urgent call to reduce climate pollution and ensure clean air and water for everyone while creating millions of good jobs. 

The more than $250,000 ad will run throughout the month of July on digital platforms and premium streaming services like Hulu. Click here to watch the ad.

“We’re working tirelessly with the White House and Congress to deliver bold climate action that would accelerate our move toward a clean energy economy,” said Elizabeth Gore, EDF Senior Vice President for Political Affairs. “We can and must confront the climate crisis, protect communities, create millions of good-paying jobs and lower costs to families and businesses. That’s why we’re teaming up with NRDC to urge our leaders to make bold investments in clean energy and electric vehicles. President Biden has declared ‘code red’ on climate change – and working with Congress, he has an historic opportunity to strengthen our economy today while benefiting generations to come.”

“President Biden has made it clear: We must confront the rising costs and increasing dangers of the climate crisis, we have the solutions and the time to act is now,” said John Bowman, managing director of government affairs at NRDC. “Congress must immediately enact the clean energy and climate investments the president has called for. They will create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for families, improve justice in overburdened communities and address the climate crisis. NRDC and our partners at Environmental Defense Fund are ready to fight for our future—let’s get the job done.”

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 7, 2022) The House Appropriations Committee last week completed markups of the government funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year (FY23). These appropriations bills contain many climate-forward programs that are EDF priorities, including funds for agriculture and fisheries climate research, documenting orphan oil and gas wells, clean energy demonstrations, and international climate assistance. We urge the House to pass these funding packages and work with the Senate to sign them into law.

“For too long, the agencies that advance clean energy solutions and build climate resilient communities have been dangerously underfunded,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs. “Amid global conflict, an escalating climate crisis, and the ongoing pandemic, it is more important than ever that these agencies get the full funding as proposed in President Biden’s budget to keep our families and communities safe.”

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 7, 2022) The House Appropriations Committee last week proposed significant funding boost to the Environmental Protection Agency, up $2 billion to $11.5 billion, as the agency pushes to reduce pollution and protect public health. We urge the House to swiftly pass the EPA funding.

The EPA has suffered from underfunding for decades, hamstringing the agency’s ability to meaningfully act to protect our health and environment. The House Appropriations committee proposal includes critical funding for environmental justice efforts across the agency and resources for scientific and regulatory work to protect the public from toxic chemicals, among other priorities. 

“The EPA budget proposed by the House will make a real difference in people's lives by fully funding the agency we rely on to protect our health and environment while pursuing justice for the communities that bear the brunt of legacy pollution and climate change,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs.

Growing corporate demand for carbon credits could aid tropical forest countries in achieving their national climate obligations, according to a new report from Trove Research supported by Environmental Defense Fund. The analysis found significant corporate demand for tropical forest credits, which could generate financing that could be leveraged to help exceed countries’ emissions goals under the Paris Agreement. By 2050, according to the analysis, corporate demand may become much greater than the capacity of tropical forest countries to deliver these forest credits, though more ambitious emissions targets could help increase the supply.

“This is the first time the potential impact of the voluntary sector on the world’s main tropical forest countries has been quantified, and we can see the demand for these forest carbon credits is massive,” said Guy Turner, study director and CEO of Trove Research. “Companies really want to invest in forest carbon credits, but after 2030, there may not be enough supply to meet their demand. Tropical countries could help meet that demand by boosting the ambition of their emissions targets under the Paris Agreement.”

The analysis examined the future demand for carbon credits from the corporate sector and the potential share of this demand for forest-related credits from tropical forest countries – both in the form of reduced deforestation (REDD+) and afforestation/restoration activities.  This potential demand was then compared with the capacity of these countries to deliver carbon credits.

The results show that up to 2030, demand for carbon credits from tropical forest countries could equal the capacity of these countries to supply the credits. But over the period to 2050 demand for carbon credits from tropical forest countries could exceed the available supply by 400%.

If voluntary demand for carbon credits materialises to the extent projected in this report, tropical forest countries could achieve emission reductions in excess of their current NDC commitments through finance available from the voluntary sector.

“The soaring global demand for carbon credits from companies unlocks incredible potential and necessary resources for tropical forest countries to achieve their climate commitments – and maybe even go above and beyond,” said Pedro Barata, Senior Climate Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “Companies in the voluntary carbon market can contribute their fair share to global climate action, and countries can reap the benefits with more ambitious, but attainable, emissions targets.”

To date, most of the debate around the use of corresponding adjustments* for voluntary carbon credit purposes has assumed that the voluntary market would not have a material impact on host country emissions. This research suggests the opposite is likely to be true when the long-term growth in demand for voluntary carbon credits is factored in.

If voluntary demand for carbon credits materialises to the extent projected in this report, it could facilitate the creation of correspondingly adjusted credits. Correspondingly-adjusted credits would likely be priced at a significant premium to carbon credits without an adjustment, as governments would prioritise the lowest-cost forms of mitigation first in achieving their NDCs, so that emissions reductions beyond their NDCs would be more costly. However, the appetite to pay for these higher priced credits has yet to be tested in the voluntary corporate sector.

*Corresponding Adjustments are an accounting mechanism designed to avoid double-counting of a carbon credits between the host country and the user of the carbon credit. If the user claims the credit against their emissions footprint, the country where the project takes place adjusts their emissions upwards so that the emission reduction is not counted twice.

About Trove Research

Trove Research is an independent research and data company focused on solving the climate change challenge through objective and rigorous analysis. We work across the range of climate policy areas, including carbon markets and the broader energy transition. We develop analytical tools and insights for use by companies, governments, NGOs and other research organisations to gain deeper understanding of complex sustainability decisions.

(Washington, D.C. – June 30, 2022) The Supreme Court sided with the coal industry and its state allies today in an opinion that constrains EPA’s authority to limit climate pollution from existing power plants. U.S. coal and gas-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of climate-destabilizing pollution in the world.

Today’s ruling recognizes EPA’s authority and responsibility to address climate pollution under the Clean Air Act including EPA’s responsibility to limit climate pollution from fossil fuel power plants, cars and trucks, oil and gas development, and industrial sites.

While the Supreme Court recognized EPA's authority to address pollution from existing fossil fuel power plants under the Clean Air Act, it constrains EPA’s authority to rely on clean energy solutions the power industry itself identified as the most common, proven and cost-effective.

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"Today's Supreme Court ruling undermines EPA's authority to protect people from smokestack climate pollution at a time when all evidence shows we must take action with great urgency," said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund, which was a party to the case. “This is judicial overreach. Today’s ruling was made even though there are no national pollution standards in effect right now for existing power plants. Yet the Court still reached out to rule on an abstract question – and weakened EPA’s authority.”

“Climate disasters are growing more frequent, more deadly, and more costly every year,” said Patton. “We have clean solutions that will help protect people from the damages of climate change while also creating economic opportunities and jobs. Today’s Supreme Court ruling should be a clarion call for President Biden, EPA Administrator Regan, and Members of Congress that we need swift action to address the climate crisis. We need Americans to register to vote and demand climate leadership. All of us must do more to protect people from the clear and present danger of climate change.”

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Today’s 6-to-3 ruling is in West Virginia v. EPA [No. 20-1530]. EDF is part of a coalition of health and environmental groups that defended EPA’s authority and responsibility to address climate pollution from power plants. Two dozen states and cities, leading businesses, and numerous power companies that serve millions of customers in states across the country – and would be the regulated parties if any standards were in effect – also supported EPA’s authority in the case. You can find all the briefs filed in the case here.