Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – June 6, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is pleased to announce a new project with The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) to evaluate net zero financial sector initiatives and opportunities for enhanced alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This collaboration will build on EDF and CCSI’s momentum to inform and engage global investors in sustainable development.

“EDF is thrilled to partner with CCSI, a leading academic institution known for its rigorous research capabilities, powerful thought leadership, and focus on finding practical approaches to sustainability challenges in global finance. Through this collaboration, we intend to understand and guide the work of the world’s financial institutions, bringing more clarity to the ecosystem of players, their alliances and commitments, and what should define climate leadership in the sector,” said Jake Hiller, Senior Manager for Investor Influence initiatives.

Over the past decade, initiatives aiming to align finance and investment with the Paris Agreement have proliferated, creating a web of interconnected efforts representing trillions of dollars of assets under management. These include the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials and a group of initiatives under the umbrella of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero including those focused on banks, asset owners, asset managers, insurers, financial service providers and investment consultants.

Realigning financial sector activities to enable and support a zero-carbon future is critical to limit global warming and achieve climate justice. Financial sector decisions drive corporate action and capital flows, and they provide significant input into the public sector policies that shape the world’s economic systems.

The rapid growth of such initiatives demonstrates the interest and enthusiasm of finance sector actors to meaningfully engage in this space. However, there is little clarity or consensus around whether and to what extent their varied commitments will provide the transparency, credibility, and accountability to achieve their stated goals.

“Meeting the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C degree warming requires an urgent and fundamental realignment of global finance. Climate financing remains woefully inadequate, especially in developing countries, while financing for fossil fuels continues globally,” said Lisa Sachs, Director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment. “The growing interest and commitment of financial actors to support the energy transition will benefit from clear, credible, and robust standards, including processes for verification and accountability.”

“Just in the last year, hundreds of financial institutions have signed onto net-zero-aligned initiatives. CCSI’s work to map out these initiatives and the commitments they entail will enable the all-important next step: action by firms to meet their own climate objectives,“ said Andrew Howell, EDF’s Director of Investor Influence.

Together, CCSI and EDF will:

• Map out major ‘net zero’ initiatives for the financial sector and evaluate their ambitions, overlaps, and any gaps;
• Explore what Paris alignment requires of financial sector actors, including commercial banks, asset managers, and asset owners;
• Evaluate the roles for government regulation and international guidelines to encourage financial sector alignment with the Paris climate goals, and provide recommendations for public, private, and civil society actors toward this objective.

The project results will be shared publicly to inform next steps in the financial sector’s path to aligning with the Paris Agreement.

To learn more about EDF’s work with investors, please visit our insights platform ESG By EDF.

To learn more about CCSI, please visit https://ccsi.columbia.edu.

(Washington, D.C. – June 3, 2022) Black Americans 65 and older are three times more likely to die from exposure to fine particle air pollution than white Americans over 65, according to a new report released today by Environmental Defense Fund. The analysis finds that stronger air pollution limits would save thousands of lives each year and deliver significant health benefits, especially for Black, Hispanic and low-income communities. 

“Fine particle air pollution is responsible for more than 120,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and respiratory diseases, and those harms are not distributed equally,” said Ananya Roy, Senior Health Scientist for EDF. “This report underscores the importance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strengthening our national protections against fine particle pollution. Stronger standards would have significant benefits for all of us, and especially for vulnerable populations who are being most harmed exposures to particle pollution.” 

Fine particle pollution is made up of tiny airborne particles like dust, soot and drops of liquids. The particles are so small that once inhaled, they penetrate deep into the lungs, causing serious health problems and even deaths. 

The new report uses census tract-level data to evaluate fine particle air pollution exposure and health impacts across the U.S. to identify population groups for whom risks may be particularly severe. The report finds significant disparities in air pollution exposure and associated health impacts, with Black and Hispanic communities and people experiencing poverty facing the highest pollution exposures and bearing the worst health impacts.  

EPA is reviewing the national air quality standards for fine particulate matter, currently set at 12 micrograms per cubic meter, and is expected to propose an updated standard this summer.  

“This report supports and builds on the important work EPA has undertaken to understand the disproportionate burden of particle pollution and underscores the urgent need for EPA to adopt stronger national health-based standards for particle pollution,” said EDF analyst Taylor Bacon. 

The report quantifies air pollution exposure disparities and the distribution of benefits from stronger standards and finds: 

• People experiencing poverty are 49% more likely to live in areas that exceed the current national pollution threshold. 

• In the U.S., people of color are six times more likely to visit the emergency room for air pollution-triggered childhood asthma than white people. 

• The potential benefits of lower PM2.5 standards are sizable. In total, the report estimates a standard of ten micrograms per cubic meter would save approximately 4,600 lives, and a standard of eight micrograms per cubic meter would save 19,600 lives and substantially reduce disparities.   

The full report, prepared by Industrial Economics, Inc. for EDF, is available here. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to reconsider the safety of using bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate plastics, metal can coatings, and other materials that contact food, potentially setting the stage for strict new limits on the harmful chemical. FDA’s decision comes in response to a food additive petition filed by a coalition of physicians, scientists and public health and environmental organizations. The law requires that FDA make a final decision by October 31, 2022.

Since we submitted the petition in January, a groundbreaking new study has added to the already compelling new evidence that BPA triggers children’s immune systems. The study of more than 3,000 mothers and their children linked BPA exposure in the womb to higher rates of asthma and wheezing in school-age girls. The research reinforces last year’s unanimous findings by a panel of experts convened by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 

“Based on studies not previously considered by FDA, the EFSA Expert Panel found that harmful effects from BPA exposure can occur at levels tens of thousands times lower than previously thought,” said Maricel Maffini, coauthor of the petition who holds a doctorate in biological sciences. “These studies show that extremely low exposures to BPA can lead to an overactive immune system likely producing out-of-control inflammation. This inflammation can then trigger wheezing and asthma-like effects.”

“Most Americans get 5,000 times more BPA in their daily diet than the EFSA expert panel says is safe,” said Tom Neltner, Environmental Defense Fund’s Senior Director, Safer Chemicals. “It is imperative that FDA take action to limit BPA contamination of food. And given the significant risks, industry should not wait for FDA to act. They need to find safer alternatives to BPA or drastically reduce the migration of the chemical into food to protect children from harm.”

The January petition and an April supplement were submitted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund, Consumer Reports, Endocrine Society, Environmental Working Group (EWG), Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), EDF consultant Dr. Maricel Maffini, and Dr. Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program. FDA will be requesting public comment on the petition soon.

Quotes from other petitioners:

“Now that the European Food Safety Authority has found harm at levels vastly lower than our typical daily exposures to Bisphenol A, it’s time for the FDA to take immediate action to protect the public from food-based exposures to this hormonally active chemical that increases our risk of breast cancer, and of other serious health problems,” said Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Manager from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.

“FDA needs to act immediately to get BPA out of plastics that contact food, adhesives, and coatings in order to protect people’s health. Early action to curb BPA use will also prevent ongoing release of BPA into the environment, including into water bodies used as drinking water sources,” said Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund National Campaigns Director. 

“Given this new data pointing to significant health risks associated with exposure to BPA at low levels, it is critical that FDA set a maximum limit of BPA in food that is safe for consumers,” said Michael Hansen, Senior Scientist, Consumer Reports. “The constant exposure consumers have to BPA in food could pose an unacceptable danger and increase the likelihood of serious health problems, such as limiting brain development in children and negatively impacting reproductive health."

“These findings are extremely concerning and prove the point that even very low levels of BPA exposure can be harmful and lead to issues with reproductive health, breast cancer risk, behavior and metabolism,” said Endocrine Society BPA expert Heather Patisaul, Ph.D., of North Carolina University in Raleigh, N.C. “The FDA needs to acknowledge the science behind endocrine-disrupting chemicals and act accordingly to protect public health.”

“It’s unacceptable that the FDA is allowing Americans to be exposed to BPA at levels over 5,000 times above what’s safe,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group. “The Food and Drug Administration must heed EFSA’s warnings and take immediate and decisive action to lower our exposures to this dangerous chemical.”

"EFSA's findings expand on our knowledge of BPA including data generated by the NTP-FDA joint CLARITY project. And the results are sobering, indicating that the harmful effects from BPA can occur at minuscule levels, far below what we’re exposed to. The scientific evidence is now more than enough to require strict limits on the use of BPA in packaging and plastics that come in contact with our food," said Dr. Linda Birnbaum, former director at NIEHS and NTP.

Contacts:

Terry Hyland, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-907-5265, thyland@edf.org

Erika Wilhelm, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, 415-539-5005, erika@bcpp.org

Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund, 202-895-0420(x109), lthorp@cleanwater.org

Michael McCauley, Consumer Reports, 415-431-6747(x7606), michael.mccauley@consumer.org

Colleen Williams, Endocrine Society, 202-971-3611, cwilliams@endocrine.org

Paige Glidden, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, 443-801-3074, pglidden@hbbf.org

Iris Myers, Environmental Working Group, 202-939-9126, iris@ewg.org 

(Washington, D.C. – June 2, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund has moved to intervene in a lawsuit to defend the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) safety and environmental standards for gas gathering pipelines.

“There are more than 435,000 miles of gas gathering pipelines in the United States, the vast majority of which have never been nationally regulated,” said EDF senior attorney Erin Murphy. “PHMSA’s rule establishes long overdue, common sense standards that will improve safety and reduce methane and other harmful pollution from gas gathering lines across the country.”

Gathering lines transport unprocessed gas — which contains the potent climate pollutant methane, as well as volatile organic compounds and other hazardous air pollutants — from production areas such as well sites to processing facilities. With the domestic boom in unconventional shale drilling over the last 20 years, there has been significant buildout of gathering line infrastructure – with increased mileage, pipe diameter, and pressure. Higher pressure and larger diameter pipelines pose a greater safety and environmental risk.

Recent research found that gathering lines accounted for one-fifth of identified methane emissions from major sources in the Permian Basin. In March, a break on a gathering line called the Big Cowboy Pipeline created the most severe U.S. methane release event in the last year, releasing up to 900 metric tons of methane in just over one hour — the equivalent annual emissions from 5,000 passenger cars.

PHMSA’s gathering line rule requires owners and operators of all onshore gas gathering lines to file annual reports and report incidents for the purpose of monitoring safety and determining the need for future regulations to address risks to the public and the environment. The rule also establishes a new category of gathering lines — Type C, applicable to more than 90,000 miles of pipeline – that are subject to emergency planning and damage prevention standards. A subset of Type C lines comprising more than 20,000 miles of pipeline are also subject to leak detection and repair and corrosion control standards.

GPA Midstream, an industry group, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the rule. EDF is now asking to join that lawsuit in defense of the rule.

31 May, 2022 — The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) launched a new interactive tool to score the quality of several types of carbon credits. The free online CCQI Scoring Tool enables buyers in the growing carbon credit market to make more informed decisions and ultimately aims to improve the quality of credits transacting in the market. 

Led by Environmental Defense Fund, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), and Oeko-Institut, CCQI offers free resources, including its robust assessment methodology and interactive scoring tool, to support carbon credit buyers who seek the highest possible quality as well as to build broader public understanding of which credits deliver the greatest climate mitigation impact. The tool is now available at www.carboncreditquality.org. 
 
The first set of scores released by CCQI assesses the quality of three carbon credit project types (landfill gas utilization, establishment of natural forests and efficient cookstoves) under four carbon crediting programs (the Clean Development Mechanism, Climate Action Reserve, Gold Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard operated by Verra).  

The first round of CCQI scorings show that carbon credits often perform well in some areas but poorly in others. Efficient cookstove projects, for example, face serious shortcomings in quantifying emission reductions and addressing non-permanence but often generate high environmental and social benefits. 
 
“CCQI’s first round of scoring confirmed that there is both wheat and chaff in the carbon credit market. The important thing, however, is that the consumer can tell the difference,” said Pedro Martins Barata, Senior Director of Climate at Environmental Defense Fund. “Free, transparent resources like our Scoring Tool can move the market toward quality by helping users understand what quality means for carbon credits.” 

Carbon credits are in high demand from buyers aiming to meet their voluntary climate commitments and compliance obligations under emissions trading schemes and carbon tax policies.

“When buyers come to the carbon credit market, they are sometimes surprised that detailed guidance on how to evaluate credits is not publicly available,” said Brad Schallert, WWF's director of carbon market governance and aviation. “CCQI hopes to fill this information gap by offering our scoring tool as one of several steps a buyer takes when conducting due diligence on how credits might differ in quality.”  

Carbon credits are assessed using CCQI’s methodology, which scores a given carbon credit on an interval scale of one through five against several quality objectives, listed below. This allows buyers to understand the nuances and trade-offs in the quality of carbon credits and make an informed decision.  

For instance, the CCQI scores reveal considerable differences between carbon crediting programs. For example, the Clean Development Mechanism was found to have the best third-party auditing rules, the Climate Action Reserve performed best in its approach for compensating for potential non-permanence, the Gold Standard was found to have the most comprehensive environmental and social safeguards, and the Verified Carbon Standard performed high in its governance, transparency and its approaches for reducing non-permanence risks. 

“What makes a high-quality carbon credit is a complex question,” said Lambert Schneider, Research Coordinator for International Climate Policy at Oeko-Institut. “We designed our Scoring Tool so that users could have a nuanced 360-degree view of different quality features of carbon credits. The scorings show a mixed performance of carbon crediting programs. If all carbon crediting programs would adopt the best practice approaches from their peers, however, this would be an important step forward in addressing the quality problems currently faced in the market.” 

CCQI’s quality objectives include:   

• Robust determination of the GHG emissions impact: How well does the carbon credit ensure additionality and robust quantification of emissions reductions and removals? 

• Avoiding double counting: How well does the carbon crediting program avoid different forms of double counting? 

• Addressing non-Permanence: Does the carbon credit have significant risks of non-permanence, in which stored carbon is lost though natural or anthropogenic disturbances? Does the carbon crediting program have adequate provisions to mitigate those risks?  

• Facilitating a transition towards net-zero emissions: Is the credit contributing toward the adoption of low, zero or negative emissions technologies and practices, and avoids lock-in of technologies and practices that lead to continuous GHG emissions? 

• Strong institutional arrangements and processes: How strong are the institutional arrangements of the carbon crediting program issuing the credits? Does the program have strong governance, transparency, and auditing practices?   

• Environmental and social impacts: How robust are the program’s environmental and social safeguards? What are the typical expected sustainable development impacts of the project type? Does the carbon credit contribute to improving adaptation and resilience? 

• Host country ambition: Is the host country where the project is located committed to global temperature goals and pursuing an ambitious NDC? 

CCQI will expand its Scoring Tool to assess more project types and programs, allowing users to discover how other project types and programs perform on quality and cover a larger share of the current market. The next round of scores will be released later by the end of 2022. 

For more information, visit www.carboncreditquality.org.  

“Climate change is an urgent crisis. If we hope to protect ourselves from the worst climate damages, we need to act quickly using the best and most up-to-date science. The Supreme Court’s decision today not to reinstate an injunction on the use of that science – an injunction that was the result of a profoundly flawed decision by a lower court – allows the Biden administration to rely on the best available science and economics to address the climate crisis while the U.S. Department of Justice presents its very strong case on the issue to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.”

            - Rosalie Winn, Director of Methane and Clean Air Policy, Environmental Defense Fund  

BACKGROUND

A federal district court judge in Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction in February restricting the Biden administration from using the latest social cost of carbon and other climate pollutants. These estimates reflect the best available scientific and economic analysis, based on extensive peer-reviewed information, to quantify the economic harm imposed by climate pollution. The government relies on this analysis of climate pollution harm when establishing policies.

In March a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a stay of that injunction. The judges found that the Biden administration is likely to prevail on the merits when the case is fully heard later this summer. The full Fifth Circuit later declined to reconsider the stay.

The Attorneys General for the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming then asked the Supreme Court to intervene and reimpose the lower court injunction. Today the Supreme Court declined that request.

Contacts:
Sonia Sanchez, (559) 802-1689, SoniaS@selfhelpenterprises.org
Ronna Kelly, (415) 293-6161, rkelly@edf.org

(SACRAMENTO, CA – May 25, 2022) Self-Help Enterprises and Environmental Defense Fund have been selected by the California Department of Conservation to coordinate technical assistance and outreach for the state’s new Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program. 

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program was created by the state last year with an initial $50 million in funding to help rural communities and the agricultural sector balance groundwater supply and demand, as required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, while creating new benefits for communities and ecosystems.

Working together as co-chairs of the “statewide support entity” for the program, SHE and EDF will provide broad support to groundwater sustainability agencies and other grantees to help achieve program goals. One of the most important goals is meaningful engagement of historically underserved groups — such as small farmers, farmers of color, disadvantaged communities and tribes — to ensure that they have the ability to shape the program and that projects benefit a diverse array of stakeholders.

As part of the $2 million, four-year grant, SHE and EDF also will facilitate communication, collaboration and learning among grantees and partners; provide guidance, training and technical assistance; support program monitoring and outcomes reporting; and coordinate communication.   

“We have a demonstrated commitment to equity and know that meaningful progress comes when all stakeholders are at the table,” said Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of Self-Help Enterprises. “As a statewide support entity co-chair, we look forward to pursuing a collaborative process to identify and pursue sustainable solutions for the San Joaquin Valley and entire state.”

“The new Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program gives rural communities and the agricultural sector a unique opportunity to reshape their landscapes in ways that help achieve groundwater sustainability and build resilience to climate change while creating new benefits, such as groundwater recharge to support agriculture, open space for people and habitat for wildlife,” said Ann Hayden, Associate Vice President, Climate Resilient Water Systems, Environmental Defense Fund. “To advance the most equitable strategies, EDF and SHE will be laser focused on ensuring historically underserved communities are actively helping to identify and shape land projects, especially those that affect them directly.”

SHE and EDF will work with a team of implementing partners to advise grantees on issues related to working lands practices, grower outreach, habitat restoration, and diverse stakeholder engagement. Those advisers will include experts from the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts and CivicWell. An advisory committee also will be created to provide high level policy guidance and connect grantees to other funding opportunities.

Eight major environmental and Indigenous Peoples organizations today released the Tropical Forest Credit Integrity (TFCI) Guide, principles for companies to follow when investing in tropical forest carbon credits to fight climate change. 

The eight organizations behind the TFCI Guide are:

• COICA-Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin 
• Conservation International 
• Environmental Defense Fund 
• IPAM - Amazon Environmental Research Institute
• The Nature Conservancy 
• Wildlife Conservation Society 
• World Resources Institute 
• WWF

Made possible by a grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, the TFCI Guide is the result of a yearlong collaboration between the eight organizations in consultation with diverse stakeholders from around the world.

The resulting guidance provides five key recommendations for how companies acquiring credits can direct their demand to ensure high-quality tropical forest carbon emission reductions and removals. These include:

1. Include tropical forest carbon credits in their beyond-value-chain mitigation strategies to augment an ambitious, transparent and science-based decarbonization target.
2. Ensure that essential components of social and environmental integrity are met for all credits purchased.
3. Align corporate reporting of forest carbon crediting purchases with the Paris Agreement’s transparency and accounting requirements and with enhancement and achievement of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
4. Rapidly shift demand toward credits from jurisdictional-scale programs (including fully nested projects).
5. Prioritize purchase of credits from programs and projects that reduce threats to standing tropical forests.

The TFCI Guide is intended to support those responsible for developing and implementing corporate climate mitigation strategies to help differentiate credits and the underlying activities with a view to ensuring high quality and integrity. The group asserts that differentiated corporate demand can help drive the supply of forest carbon credits toward higher quality.  

Voluntary markets for tropical forest carbon credits can play an important role in helping limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius when combined with companies’ deep decarbonization within their operations and supply chains. However, the TFCI Guide is clear that carbon credit purchases are only one of multiple avenues for companies to support natural climate solutions, and are a complement to, not a substitute for, long-term deep decarbonization. 

In the face of growing demand for carbon credits in voluntary markets, it is vital to provide guidance on high-quality carbon credits to ensure that future investment is directed to where it will have the greatest impact.  An essential component of quality is full respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. It is therefore imperative that Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are fully and effectively engaged in the development of crediting program activities and that they receive an equitable share of the proceeds. 

As a second phase, the authoring organizations will continue to work together to develop additional guidance regarding corporate purchase of high-quality tropical forest carbon credits, to be completed by late 2022.

Harol Rincón Ipuchima, Coordinator of Climate Change and Biodiversity, COICA-Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin said: "The Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin - COICA as part of the authoring team of the Tropical Forest Credit Integrity Guide for Companies. greets the successful completion of the document, which includes important aspects for an effective participation of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities worldwide play a very important role for the conservation of forests and mitigation of climate change, and it is time that we are recognized as partners, not only beneficiaries. This guidance is a first step in the right direction."

Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, said: “We are already seeing soaring demand for carbon and with it the unlocking of unprecedented capital for protecting and restoring tropical forests. As we work to scale carbon markets to the speed needed to avoid climate breakdown, we cannot afford to compromise on quality or accountability; this work will only be as impactful as it is meticulous and credible. Even as markets evolve, one thing will always remain true: The best way to keep that carbon out of the atmosphere is working in partnership with local communities to develop durable, context-specific solutions.”

Angela Churie Kallhauge, Head of Impact, Environmental Defense Fund, said: “The science tells us we must halt and reverse tropical forest loss to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. Living ecosystems are critical carbon stocks and if we lose them, they cannot be recovered in the timeframe needed to tackle climate change. We know companies want to invest in tropical forest protection and have the resources to do it – but it can be hard for them to navigate the large, complex carbon credit marketplace. It is for this reason that our groups have come together to help companies identify tropical forest credits that have high social and environmental integrity.” 

André Guimarães, Executive Director at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), said: “We need forests to remain standing to cope with the climate change challenge in the coming decades. Carbon markets shall play a role in stimulating native forest protection, although under very high standards of control and monitoring. In this context, the jurisdictional approach has several advantages. It allows for greater control over large forest areas and governance over deforestation and it enables the creation of robust monitoring, reporting, and verification systems. It also provides the implementation of safeguards to ensure the social participation of indigenous peoples and local communities and a fair and equitable sharing of benefits. There is no doubt that the guide's recommendations to improve the quality of tropical forest carbon credits for the Amazon forests will increase the demand from the private sector for credits from forests.”

Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy, said: “Reducing tropical deforestation is crucial to a 1.5C pathway, but current policies, programs and projects are insufficient to achieve the necessary scale. Corporate purchases of high-quality tropical forest carbon credits, in conjunction with credible decarbonization plans, can play a critical role in incentivizing and financing the transition away from deforestation. This guidance, created in partnership with eight major environmental and Indigenous Peoples organizations, lays out the foundational pathway for corporations to ensure their purchases and investments are transparent, high-quality, and impactful for both the climate and communities.” 

Todd Stevens, Executive Director of Markets, Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “WCS is encouraged by the outcomes of this guidance and the implications for forest conservation. We believe it will be useful for companies to see how projects and jurisdictional programs can be mutually reinforcing in helping to deliver the significant climate mitigation action needed to meet our Paris Agreement goals and support corporate net zero commitments.”

Frances Seymour, Distinguished Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute, said: “Corporate demand for high-quality forest carbon credits can help drive needed improvements in the environmental and social integrity of carbon credit supply. WRI welcomes the TFCI Guide’s recognition of the need for a rapid transition to jurisdictional-scale accounting and crediting, with a near-term emphasis on protecting the forests we still have. Demand for such credits can encourage governments to take actions to end deforestation that only they can perform, such as recognizing the land tenure rights of Indigenous Peoples, enforcing the law, and shifting fiscal incentives toward forest protection.”

Fran Raymond Price, Lead, WWF Global Forest Practice, said: “We see an unprecedented opportunity in the demand for nature-based solutions to drive needed benefits for people, nature and climate. But this will only be possible if we are diligent about the quality, transparency, equity and inclusivity of the interventions necessary to achieve transformation at scale. It is a real breakthrough for these organizations to come to a mutual agreement on what this looks like on the ground. However, this is one piece of a puzzle that needs to be completed. Companies must adopt science-based targets, address their footprints, and commit to supporting high-quality interventions with integrity and accurate claims so we can realize a 1.5 degrees Celsius world.”

### 

About COICA-Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin 
The Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) is an indigenous organization of international convergence that orients its efforts to the promotion, protection and security of indigenous peoples and territories through the defense of their ways of life, principles and social, spiritual and cultural values. Our preexistence is framed in the defense of life and of the Amazon to continue as a seed on earth and conserve forests for a living planet that ensures the continuity of our present and future generations. Learn more here: https://coicamazonia.org/ 

About Conservation International 
Since 1987, Conservation International has worked to spotlight and secure the critical benefits that nature provides to humanity. Combining fieldwork with innovations in science, policy and finance, we’ve helped protect more than 6 million square kilometers (2.3 million square miles) of land and sea across more than 70 countries. Today, with offices in more than two dozen countries and a worldwide network of thousands of partners, our reach is truly global. But we couldn't have made it this far without you. Your contributions support our work to protect nature for the benefit of us all. Learn more here: https://www.conservation.org/ 

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

About Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) 
The Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM) [Amazon Environmental Research Institute] is a scientific, non-governmental, non- partisan and non-profit organization that has worked for the sustainable development of the Amazon since 1995. Our purpose is to consolidate the Amazonian tropical development model by 2035, by producing knowledge, implementing local initiatives and directing public policies, in a way that influences economic development, social equality, and environmental preservation. Learn more here: https://ipam.org.br/en/ 

About The Nature Conservancy 
The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 75 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 38 through partners. Learn more here: https://www.nature.org/en-us/ 

About Wildlife Conservation Society 
WCS's goal is to conserve the world's largest wild places in 14 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world's biodiversity. This is outlined in our 2020 strategy, which positions WCS to maintain its historic focus on the protection of species while developing an ambitious plan to engage with a rapidly changing world. The challenges are greater than ever, but with the focus, dedication, and passion of a committed staff - combined with a unique mixture of field, zoo, and aquarium expertise - WCS will continue to set the bar for science, conservation action, and education that has driven our success in protecting wildlife and wild places for over a century. We hold ourselves to the highest standards adhering to core values of respect, accountability and transparency, innovation, diversity and inclusion, collaboration, and integrity. Learn more here: https://www.wcs.org/ 

About World Resources Institute 
World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with international offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, regional offices in Ethiopia (for Africa) and the Netherlands (for Europe), and program offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Our more than 1,600 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. More information at www.wri.org or on Twitter @WorldResources.

About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million followers and a global network active in nearly 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources; follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.

About Bezos Earth Fund  
The Bezos Earth Fund is Jeff Bezos' $10 billion personal commitment to fund scientists, activists, NGOs and others to help drive climate and nature solutions. By allocating funds creatively, wisely and boldly, the Bezos Earth Fund has the potential for transformative influence in this decisive decade. Funds will be fully allocated by 2030 — the date by which the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals must be achieved. https://www.bezosearthfund.org/

### 

(SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading international nonprofit organization, announced today it has signed a new agreement with Seoul National University Graduate School of Environmental Studies (SNU GSES) to study where and how much methane escapes from the nation’s gas delivery system in Seoul. They will also facilitate collaboration among industry, government and scientists to develop new policies and practices to reduce methane emissions across the nation’s gas system.

Present for the event were EDF Senior Vice President for Energy Transition, Mark Brownstein, and EDF Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President Dr. Steven Hamburg, along with SNU's Yonghoon Son, Vice Dean of Graduate School of Environmental Studies, and Prof. Sujong Jeong of SNU Graduate School of Environmental Studies.

“Reducing methane is a vital goal that must be achieved in order to reach carbon neutrality and respond to the climate crisis. The research agreement between EDF, a global research institute that will soon launch a methane monitoring satellite, and SNU Graduate School of Environmental Studies will serve as an important opportunity to deal with the global climate crisis in Korea and beyond,” said Sujong Jeong of SNU.

Natural gas is made up primarily of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Last fall South Korea joined more than 100 countries, including Japan and the United States, in signing the Global Methane Pledge, which calls for collective efforts to reduce methane emissions 30% by 2030. New research under the agreement could help policymakers better understand to what extent it can cut emissions by tightening gas infrastructure.

Asia-Pacific countries have become a key driver of the natural gas market. Already, South Korea, Japan, and China account for 50% of the world’s liquid natural gas (LNG) trade. By 2050, the region is expected to account for nearly 60% of new global gas demand growth. Natural gas is preferable to coal in terms of reduced carbon dioxide emissions, but methane leaks and other emissions undermine those benefits.

“South Korea is a global leader in innovation and clean energy technologies like electric vehicles. Joining forces to help find and reduce methane emissions is a vital opportunity to extend this role, both in the region and on the world stage,” said EDF’s Brownstein.   

Credible and transparent data on methane emissions throughout the oil and gas supply chain are urgently needed to design mitigation strategies and enable effective policies, but data on emissions from LNG production, storage and the delivery of gas through long distance and local pipelines in the Asia-Pacific region have been particularly sparse.

The joint effort by SNU GSES and EDF is expected to help fill in gaps in understanding of oil and gas methane emissions by facilitating the exchange of science and best practices related to methane measurements, as well as help to validate evolving remote sensing data and provide insight into differences among and within data sets.

“We are pleased to collaborate and share resources to support and advance the development of policy-relevant methane science with the prestigious Seoul National University,” said EDF’s Hamburg. “It is a crucial opportunity for countries and companies to accelerate the ability to meet the ambition of net-zero pathways, goals and commitments and energy security.”

The International Energy Agency says that that Asia-Pacific oil and gas operators can use current technologies to cut methane emissions 70% by 2030.

“Reducing methane emissions is an achievable, highly cost-effective process. It starts with locating and measuring the sources of emissions,” Hamburg said. “This partnership with SNU represents EDF’s commitment to work on regionally specific methane mitigation strategies and we hope it contributes to Asia-Pacific oil and gas suppliers’ being able to rapidly achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions.”

Under the agreement EDF and SNU will cooperate in:

• Facilitation of dialogue and collaboration between scientists, academics, industries, and policymakers on methane studies and energy policy to raise awareness of climate impacts from methane and achieve reductions.
• Detection, mapping and measurement of methane from the urban gas distribution network in the city of Seoul in alignment with best practices and principles, resulting in a peer-reviewed scientific publication.
• Exchange of information and experiences regarding studying methane emissions, including detection, mapping, quantification, and attribution methods for methane emissions from the natural gas distribution network and LNG facilities.
• Development and dissemination of SNU-EDF research findings with key stakeholders, and exchange of information associated with EDF’s leadership and activities in institutions such as the International Methane Emission Observatory (IMEO) and MethaneSAT, LLC.

Established in 1967, EDF has headquarters in four key regions (China, India, Europe, and the U.S.) and operates in 28 geographies with unique projects running across programs in energy, nature, and health. EDF has significantly contributed to increasing awareness of the importance of methane mitigation on the global climate agenda through a decade of science and advocacy that has expanded the knowledge and solutions for addressing methane. Soon, this solution set will include data from EDF’s affiliate MethaneSAT, which when orbiting the earth next year will be able to provide comprehensive high-quality information on methane emissions from at least 80% of global oil and gas production.

(Washington, D.C. – May 20, 2022) Ten science and environmental groups – including Environmental Defense Fund – have asked to go to court to defend EPA’s reinstatement of a waiver of preemption that allows states to set protective clean car standards.

The groups filed their motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today asking to participate in lawsuits opposing EPA’s decision.

“Thanks to the Clean Air Act waiver provision, states across the country have adopted clean car standards that will protect people’s health and save them money on fuel, while also helping to create new jobs and address the climate crisis,” said EDF senior attorney Alice Henderson. “Opponents of the waiver have been trying to create unlawful roadblocks to state progress on clean transportation. We will defend EPA’s decision to clear those roadblocks and let states from California to Colorado to Minnesota to Maine continue leading the way toward a clean transportation future for us all.”

The Clean Air Act includes a waiver provision that allows California to adopt standards to protect people from the unhealthy air pollution emitted by cars and trucks. In the 54 years since Congress enacted that provision, EPA granted almost every waiver the state sought, and 16 other states have also adopted California’s innovative clean car standards.

The previous administration attempted to revoke the waiver provision, but in March the Biden EPA reinstated it. A coalition of states led by Ohio, along with the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association and biofuels groups, then filed lawsuits challenging the reinstatement.

Today EDF and the Center for Biological Diversity, Clean Air Council, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental Law & Policy Center, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists asked the D.C. Circuit for permission to join the case in support of EPA’s action. A coalition of 20 states and three cities have also moved to intervene in defense of EPA.

(Washington, D.C. – May 18, 2022) EPA should substantially strengthen its proposed climate and smog-causing pollution standards for new commercial trucks and buses to protect public health and reduce climate pollution, according to comments submitted to the agency by Environmental Defense Fund.

EDF specifically urged EPA to set performance-based pollution standards that will ensure 80% of new school and transit buses, and 40% of most other new heavy-duty vehicles other than long haul trucks, are zero-emitting by 2029 – standards that would create a strong foundation for ensuring 100% of all new heavy-duty vehicles are zero-emitting by 2035.

“The Proposal must be substantially strengthened to deliver critical climate reductions, protect public health … and provide a strong foundation for next generation standards that drive even deeper pollution reductions from these vehicles,” EDF stated in its comments. “We respectfully urge EPA to consider all available tools to achieve deep pollution reductions and rapid [zero-emission vehicle] deployment as quickly as possible. These actions will save money for truckers and fleets, strengthen our energy security, and help to support and grow domestic jobs.”

EDF included a new white paper with its comments - The Opportunity for Near-Term Electrification of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles – that documents the reasonableness, feasibility, and urgent opportunity to strengthen EPA standards. The analysis finds that pollution standards ensuring 80% of new buses and 40% of most other new trucks are zero-emitting by 2029 would:

• Prevent up to 9,600 premature deaths through 2050
• Keep more than 1.6 billion tons of climate pollution and up to 2.2 million tons of ozone-forming nitrogen pollution out of our air through 2050
• Save the U.S. up to $680 billion total through 2050, while at the same time growing well-paying jobs in states across the nation

EPA has been accepting public comments on its proposal for updated emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles – which include delivery vans and trucks, transit and school buses, and garbage trucks. These heavy-duty vehicles are only about four percent of all cars and trucks on our roads, but they are responsible for almost a quarter of all the 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 significant contributor of deadly fine particulate matter pollution.

Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles are especially dangerous to the people who live closest to them. EPA estimates that 72 million people in America live within 200 meters of a truck freight route, and people of color and those with lower incomes are more likely to live in those areas.

You can read the full comments here and the white paper here.

(Sacramento, CA — May 13, 2022) Today, Governor Gavin Newsom released a revised budget proposal for California’s next fiscal year, building on his original budget package presented in January. In this “May Revise,” the Governor proposes spending that extends the bold climate commitments already made, while providing relief for the myriad challenges facing Californians, especially climate change. Today’s announcement adds an additional $9.5 billion to the $22.5 billion proposed in January for a total climate commitment of $32 billion.

“Governor Newsom’s revised budget proposal reflects the numerous climate change threats facing Californians. As we anticipate hotter conditions and the risk of power shortages, the budget’s focus on enhancing electricity reliability and affordability is imperative for protecting households. This includes proposed investments in critical bill relief for the state's most vulnerable residents. The state should engage early and meaningfully with local communities as electricity generation and siting options are considered.”

“Californians cannot afford to continue living with dangerous levels of air pollution and escalating drought conditions. Governor Newsom should continue building on his January budget proposal and working with the Legislature to deliver significant investments in zero-emission vehicles, including heavy-duty vehicles, and long-term strategies to reduce California’s dependence on shrinking groundwater supplies. To this end, California leaders should step up investments in long-term strategies like multi-benefit land repurposing.

“EDF applauds Governor Newsom for leveraging this budget surplus to back his strong climate commitments.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager, U.S. Climate at EDF

PSC Must Work with Utilities to Create Charging Network and Improve Air Quality in New York

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), CALSTART, NRDC, Sierra Club, South Bronx Unite and WE ACT today filed a petition with the New York Public Service Commission asking the regulator to address the need for zero-emission truck and bus charging infrastructure throughout the state, which is poised to grow rapidly as New York decarbonizes.

The petition asks the PSC to work with other state agencies and electric utilities to estimate infrastructure needs and costs to support medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging for the coming years. The document also asks the PSC to review and modify the existing make-ready pilot program to meet the needs of early zero-emission truck and bus adopters and build a knowledge base from their early experience, as well as to begin a stakeholder process to tackle long-term needs to charge these vehicles in a cost-effective, efficient and equitable way.

“Electric trucks and buses mean less climate pollution and cleaner air for New Yorkers. But for this to happen, these vehicles need charging infrastructure that meets their operational needs. The Public Service Commission can – and should – work with utilities to support truck and bus fleet electrification in a way that optimizes how they interact with the electric grid – all while reducing costs, avoiding pollution and shoring up New York’s clean energy leadership.”                                                     

• Elizabeth B. Stein, Lead Counsel, Energy Transition at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

"With both the state's adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule and the passage of the CLCPA, swift action by the Commission should be taken to adequately prepare for more electric buses and trucks in the state. We believe the Commission can address these needs via the Petition's three recommendations, which if taken, can help ensure cleaner air for New Yorkers and facilitate a growing electric vehicle industry for the New York economy."

• Alissa Burger, Regional Policy Director, CALSTART

“Cleaning up trucks and buses–the most polluting vehicles on New York roads–is critical to fighting the climate crisis and building healthier communities for all New Yorkers. Electric utilities have the means to help make that a reality. We need the Public Service Commission to work hand in hand with utilities to ensure New York is prepared to support a widespread transition to zero-emission technology that will save lives and address a dire environmental injustice.”

• Joshua Berman, Senior Attorney with Sierra Club

“Communities of color and areas of low-income have been plagued with diesel pollution for far too long. Shifting to electric trucks and buses is critical to tackling climate change, improving air quality and health in overburdened communities across the state, and is a step in the right direction to addressing long-standing injustices. The Public Service Commission must do its part to ensure there is a robust charging infrastructure to support medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification and deliver on the climate and equity provisions required under New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.”

• Anastasia Gordon, Energy and Transportation Policy Manager with WE ACT for Environmental Justice

"The South Bronx has been subjected to decades of disproportionate fossil fuel air pollution, including emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Our community is encircled by congested expressways and our streets are jammed with a constant stream of trucks traveling back and forth from the numerous facilities dotting our waterfront. This has contributed to a host of pollution-related diseases, including asthma, cognitive impairment, heart disease, and dementia. A recent study on which we collaborated with Columbia University concluded that traffic congestion had worsened in the South Bronx. We cannot endure anymore. Our quality of life has been sacrificed for too long. We urge the Public Service Commission to facilitate and expedite the transition to electric trucks and buses so that we can live healthier lives."

• Arif Ullah, Executive Director, South Bronx Unite 

Transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York and a significant contributor of local air pollution. The approximately 700,000 trucks and buses on state roads constitute only 6% of all vehicles in New York but are responsible for 45% of nitrogen oxide and 52% of particulate matter from the transportation sector – high amounts of pollutants that cause asthma and premature death. According to the American Lung Association, a move to medium- and heavy-duty as well as light-duty zero-emission vehicles would prevent 6,200 premature deaths, 159,000 asthma attacks and 825,000 lost workdays in New York — roughly over $68.2 billion in cumulative public health benefits between 2020 and 2050. This underscores the urgency with which we need to reduce emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and the importance of supporting their electrification by building out charging infrastructure.

(WASHINGTON) A new study published today in the journal Environmental Science and Technology reveals that in U.S. cities, natural gas pipeline leaks are more prevalent in neighborhoods whose populations are predominately low-income or people of color.

“Gas pipeline leaks pose a safety risk and release harmful climate pollution, and it’s clear this problem can be worse for communities of color and low-income households,” said Erin Murphy, Senior Attorney with Environmental Defense Fund. “Stronger oversight of gas pipeline leaks is needed to combat the climate crisis, build healthier communities and advance environmental justice.”

For the study, researchers compared census data with gas leak data collected by EDF, Colorado State University and Google Earth Outreach between 2014 and 2018. On average, the density of gas leaks increased nearly 40% among communities of color compared to predominantly white neighborhoods. Similarly, leak densities were found to be approximately 25% lower in high-income neighborhoods than in the average-income neighborhoods.

Natural gas is mostly methane  —  a potentially explosive and very potent greenhouse gas responsible for over a quarter of current global warming. Methane gas leaks on local pipeline systems are carefully regulated for safety, but many leaks are allowed to continue unaddressed for years — during which time they continue to emit climate pollution and can become hazardous.

“There are clear paths utility companies can take to address the issue,” said Joseph von Fischer, professor at Colorado State University and one of the study's authors. “For example, they could conduct analyses of leaks on their systems and factor in demographic information when making decisions about infrastructure management.”

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the federal agency that oversees these pipelines, is currently in the process of setting new standards that will require pipeline operators to use advanced leak detection technology to find and fix methane leaks in the pipelines. However, those standards have yet to be finalized and implemented. This research indicates such standards are urgently needed in order to help address these inequities.

The study also indicates a need for gas utilities and regulators to take a holistic approach to gas system planning, including using demographic data to address injustices and reduce burdens on communities who may be disproportionately impacted by gas distribution infrastructure.

Statement of EDF Senior Director, Chemical Policy, Maria Doa

“The American Chemistry Council’s staged press conference today shows that the industry sees EPA’s efforts to protect the public health from toxic chemicals as just another obstacle to maximizing their corporate profits.  

“The chemical industry trade group used the event to release a report purporting to highlight six ‘key issues’ with the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and six ‘solutions.’ In fact, the ACC’s report amounts to a call for EPA to stop working to reverse Trump-era policies that ignored science, failed to assess actual human exposures to chemicals, and allowed industry to push through unrestricted approvals of new chemicals in everything from air fresheners to carpets to motor oil. 

“To support its claims of hardship, the ACC trotted out its usual fear-mongering tactics of economic Armageddon if EPA does not cede to industry’s bullying to push through new chemicals without adequate review and allow unrestricted use of existing chemicals even where EPA has identified unreasonable risks. 

“Yet in the very same press conference, the ACC’s Vice President for Federal Affairs Ross Eisenberg acknowledged that he is ‘happy that industry is demonstrating strong growth’ economically. Just four days ago, the ACC noted in its weekly economic analysis that chemical industry employment, shipments, and inventories are all up year over year, with the chemical products industry ‘reporting moderate-to-strong growth in April.’   

“During their press conference today, the ACC’s own leadership indicated that the industry’s true goal is to keep more profits for itself at the expense of the American taxpayer. While the ACC's report decries EPA's efforts to recover fees from industry to help pay for chemical evaluations, as required under TSCA, Mr. Eisenberg said the chemical industry supports Congress acting to increase EPA’s budget to implement the chemical safety law. Mr. Eisenberg never explained why ACC is demanding that Congress ask taxpayers to pay for the budget increase it says EPA needs while simultaneously arguing that industry should not have to pay its share of fees required under TSCA.  

“While we agree with the ACC’s call for more funding for EPA to properly implement TSCA, the rest of the industry group’s report should be taken for what it is: a public stunt designed to hide the fact that the industry wants to reinstate the failed policies of the Trump administration that put workers, frontline communities, and consumers at greater risk, all while asking Congress to make taxpayers cover industry’s share of the bill.” 

• Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemical Policy