Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – April 12, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund and a broad coalition of other groups is calling on EPA to reaffirm its finding that it is appropriate and necessary to limit mercury and other toxic pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants. EPA has been accepting public comment on its proposal, which reinstates a robust legal basis for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards – safeguards against extremely dangerous pollution including mercury, which causes brain damage in babies and is associated with heart disease, arsenic, and other toxic substances that cause cancer and lung disease.

Environmental Defense Fund joined Air Alliance Houston, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Clean Air Council, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Wisconsin, Conservation Law Foundation, Downwinders at Risk, Earthjustice, Environmental Integrity Project, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Southern Environmental Law Center to submit technical comments to EPA.

EDF is also part of a broad and far-reaching coalition of more than 80 community, public health, civil rights, environmental justice, environmental, faith and professional groups to submit a letter in “strong support” of EPA’s proposal. The letter was submitted yesterday by Moms Clean Air Force.

“Coal- and oil-burning power plants are among the largest sources of hazardous air pollution, including mercury, lead, arsenic, and acid gases,” the groups say in the letter. “Emissions of these pollutants seriously harm public health and the environment … The [Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have] been enormously successful: As the Proposal notes, it has contributed to reductions in mercury emissions from power plants of more than 85 percent.”

Since 2012, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have slashed pollution and have done it at a fraction of the expected cost. Recent studies prove that reducing toxic pollution has provided greater health benefits than anticipated, for less money. The previous administration tried to weaken the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards by attacking the appropriate and necessary finding. EPA’s proposal would reverse that wholly unfounded action and restore the finding.

You can read the entire community letter below:

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794

Comments of Community, Public Health, Civil Rights, Environmental Justice, Environmental, Faith and Professional Organizations on National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units-Revocation of the 2020 Reconsideration, and Affirmation of the Appropriate and Necessary Supplemental Finding; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 87 Fed. Reg. 7624 (Feb. 9, 2022)

The undersigned organizations strongly support EPA’s Proposal to reaffirm its finding that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from coal- and oil-fired power plants under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, revoking the 2020 action in which EPA rescinded this finding. EPA should finalize its Proposal and should promptly propose, in a separate rulemaking, to strengthen the emissions standards for power plants in the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, 77 Fed. Reg. 9304 (Feb. 16, 2012) (“MATS”).

Coal- and oil-burning power plants are among the largest sources of hazardous air pollution, including mercury, lead, arsenic, and acid gases. They are also significant sources of benzene, formaldehyde, dioxins, polycyclic organic matter, and many other organic hazardous air pollutants. Emissions of these pollutants seriously harm public health and the environment. As a result of widespread mercury contamination, all fifty U.S. states warn residents against consumption of locally caught fish, yet nearly seven percent of all U.S. women of childbearing age—more than four million women—are still exposed to mercury at levels harmful for fetal brain development. Neurodevelopmental harm from mercury contamination in fish outweighs the significant nutritional benefits of eating fish. Emissions of lead likewise poison the developing fetus, while arsenic and benzene cause cancer. And air toxics from power plants are a component of particulate pollution that causes heart attacks and strokes on a wide scale, killing many thousands of people each year.

Power plants contribute to the pollution burdens borne by Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, which already face disproportionately high levels of air pollution. Furthermore, some of these communities frequently consume self-caught fish at high per capita rates, increasing their exposure to methylmercury and other toxics. The communities most at risk from power plant HAP emissions are often socioeconomically disadvantaged. HAP emissions from power plants contribute to a range of serious environmental injustices—injustices that the Clean Air Act directs EPA to remedy.T

he MATS rule established the first-ever national limits on power plant hazardous air pollution and secured dramatic reductions in emissions of many of these pollutants. The rule has been enormously successful: As the Proposal notes, it has contributed to reductions in mercury emissions from power plants of more than 85 percent. The MATS rule has reduced emissions of many other hazardous pollutants as well. However, during the Trump administration, EPA needlessly and unlawfully put these life-saving protections at risk by revoking the finding that the MATS rule is “appropriate,” while unreasonably and unlawfully declining to strengthen the standards. Among other serious errors, the 2020 rule gave almost no weight to the core statutory objective of reducing emissions of hazardous air pollutants, and declined to fully explore the health impacts of failing to regulate these pollutants. President Biden’s January 20, 2021, Executive Order 13990, “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis,” properly required EPA to reconsider those unlawful actions.

The Proposal correctly recognizes, in reaffirming EPA’s prior findings in 2000, 2012, and 2016, that regulation of HAP emissions from power plants is appropriate and necessary. EPA proposes to find that, after “weighing the risks posed by HAP emissions from EGUs against the costs of reducing that pollution in the industry and society as a whole, it is worthwhile (i.e., ‘appropriate’) to regulate those emissions to protect all Americans, and in particular the most vulnerable populations, from the inherent risks posed by exposure to HAP emitted by coal- and oil-fired EGUs.” 87 Fed. Reg. at 7628. We strongly agree with EPA that “[t]he information and data amassed over the decades of administrative analyses and rulemaking devoted to this topic overwhelmingly support the conclusion that the advantages of regulating HAP emissions from coal- and oil-fired EGUs outweigh the costs.” Id. at 7636. As the Proposal explains, “regulation of HAP emissions from EGUs under CAA Section 112 greatly improves public health for Americans by reducing the risks of premature mortality from heart attacks, cancer, and neurodevelopmental delays in children, and by helping to restore economically vital ecosystems used for recreational and commercial purposes.” Id. at 7637.

In the Proposal, EPA properly considers information obtained since earlier findings that demonstrates that the benefits of limiting HAP emissions are even greater than previously recognized (including, for example, new studies of the substantial risks that mercury from power plants poses to cardiovascular health).  And the Proposal properly recognizes that, due in part to improved pollution-control techniques, the costs to industry of controlling these pollutants are dramatically lower than EPA estimated more than a decade ago in developing MATS.  EPA is correct to give weight to all human health and environmental advantages of reducing HAPs from power plants, regardless of whether the advantages could be quantified or monetized – it is inconsistent with the statutory text and design to ignore HAP-reduction benefits merely because they have not been monetized.  In the Proposal, EPA correctly gives weight to benefits that it had not monetized, including reductions in neurodevelopmental and cardiovascular impacts beyond those previously monetized by EPA, and reductions in adverse ecosystem effects such as mercury-related impacts on wildlife and tourism.  EPA is correct to note that among these important nonmonetized benefits of regulation are reductions in “health risks in [environmental justice] subpopulations that face disproportionally high exposure to EGU HAP.” 87 Fed. Reg. at 7644. Similarly, the Proposal is correct to recognize “the statutory intent to protect even the most exposed member of the population from the harms attendant to exposure to HAP emissions.” Id. at 7634.

In conclusion, EPA should promptly finalize its Proposal and reaffirm the appropriate and necessary finding, thereby reinforcing the legal foundation for pollution limits that are crucial to protecting public health.  In addition, we applaud EPA’s commitment in the Proposal to conduct a thorough review of the prior administration’s decision not to strengthen the standards pursuant to the Residual Risk and Technology Review. Because of the enormous harms that hazardous air pollutants from power plants continue to cause, and in light of the improvements in emissions control techniques since MATS was issued more than a decade ago, EPA should move promptly to strengthen these vital standards.

Respectfully submitted,

ACES 4 Youth

Air Alliance Houston

Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

Businesses for a Livable Climate

Call to Action Colorado

Capital Assets Energy, LLC

Capitol Heights Presbyterian

CatholicNetwork US

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Children’s Environmental Health Network

Clean Air Council

Climate Reality Chicago Metro Chapter

Chispa Texas

Clean Energy Alliance of Naperville

Climate + Energy Project

CO Businesses for a Livable Climate

Community for Sustainable Energy

Denver DSA

Downwinders at Risk

Earthjustice

Eco-Justice Collaborative

Ecology Center

Elders Climate Action

Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Integrity Project

Evergreen Action

Faith Coalition for the Common Good

Faith in Place

First Focus on Children

Greater Highland Area Concerned Citizens

Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance

GreenLatinos

Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group

Hispanic Access Foundation

I-70 Citizens Advisory Group

Iowa Environmental Council

Illinois Environmental Council

Indivisible Ambassadors

Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association

Interfaith Power & Light

Iowa Environmental Council

Justice and Mission Team, Illinois South Conference, United Church of Christ

League of Conservation Voters

Littleton Business Alliance

March of Dimes

Mayfair Park Neighborhood Association Board

Mental Health & Inclusion Ministries

Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action

Moms Clean Air Force

Montbello Neighborhood Improvement Association

Mothers Out Front Colorado

Mothers Out Front Kansas City Chapter

National Hispanic Medical Association

National Wildlife Federation

Natural Resources Defense Council

North Range Concerned Citizens

Prof. Scott Denning from Colorado State University 

Public Citizen

Rabbi Eliot Baskin

RapidShift Network

Respiratory Health Association 

Rosanna Gabaldon, Arizona State Senator

Save EPA (former employees)

Small Business Alliance

South Bronx Unite

South Texas Human Rights Center

Southwest Organization for Sustainability

Spirit of the Sun, Inc.

Sunnyside Community Redevelopment Organization

System Change Not Climate Change

Texas Campaign for the Environment

The Green House Connection Center

Union of Concerned Scientists

Unite North Metro Denver

Wall of Women

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Western Slope Businesses for a Livable Climate

Wildwerding Consulting

Womxn from the Mountain

Working for Racial Equity  

The following is a statement from Eric Schwaab, senior vice president for People and Nature at Environmental Defense Fund, on the upcoming Our Ocean Conference hosted by Palau:

“A sense of urgency, opportunity and optimism must prevail at the upcoming Our Ocean Conference in Palau as governments, civil society and businesses convene during a critically important year. Together, we must deliver real solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our oceans, coastal communities and the very health of our planet.

"This year marks the UN-designated International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture as well as the second full year of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It’s also a year in which we are continuing to witness accelerating impacts of climate change. This in turn is driving changes in food security for more than a billion people worldwide, nutrition security for some 3 billion people who rely on fish as a primary source of protein, income security for millions and an untold number of coastal communities who are witnessing sea level rise and other impacts.

"We must do everything we can to address climate pollution and limit planetary warming. At the same time, we must also act now on critical solutions that will help billions of people adapt to a climate-impacted future, including making our fisheries more resilient in the face of climate change. We have an urgent need to address all the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, and particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water. Through our oceans and the people in coastal communities closest to the problem, we can ensure that healthy oceans are part of the climate solution and continue to support and nourish people around the world.

"This year is rich with opportunities for the international community to rally behind our common causes, including this week’s conference and events like Stockholm +50, Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, the UN Ocean Conference, UNFCCC COP27 and the UN Biodiversity Conference. As we move into this critical year, EDF will focus on five critical areas for action:

Blue Foods

"Blue foods can help end malnutrition, build nature-positive and resilient food systems and progress nine of the Sustainable Development Goals. Blue foods can make key contributions to diet-related health challenges and offer a less carbon-intensive source of animal protein. As a low-carbon source of animal protein, blue foods can also be a critical part of the global climate solution. For coastal communities most vulnerable to climate change, blue foods provide a vital source of protein and micronutrients that are not easily replaced by other sources. Sustainable blue food systems will not only increase the supply of nutritious food but also contribute to community resilience, good jobs, gender equity and poverty alleviation and incentivize action in support of healthy, sustainable ocean ecosystems.

"To achieve these benefits, governments, civil society and industry must elevate the profile of aquatic foods as a key component of sustainable and climate-resilient global food systems. That means enacting policies, setting up financing mechanisms and engaging in dialogue to ensure that blue foods are at the forefront of efforts to build nutritional security, economic vitality and environmental integrity.

IYAFA & Small-Scale Fisheries

"Small-scale fishers account for close to half of global fisheries catch and play a fundamental role in the welfare, health and culture of communities worldwide, affecting billions of people. During this International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, it’s time to act to provide meaningful funding in support of them — to recognize the vital roles that they play, amplify their voices and protect their futures.

"That means implementing policies to ensure sustainability and resilience amidst a changing climate and to better secure the rights and access to fishing grounds of small-scale fishers and fishworkers across the world. These steps, coupled with the implementation of the UN FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines, are essential to protecting economies of coastal communities, creating healthy oceans and prioritizing the human rights of billions of people.

Sustainable Ocean Financing

"A recent paper published in Nature Communications finds that public and private investment lags far behind what’s needed to ensure a thriving, resilient and sustainable ocean economy — but that solutions do exist.

"A sustainable ocean economy requires more and better financing that generates, invests, aligns and accounts for financial capital to achieve sustained ocean health and governance.

"However, the current finance gap for achieving this vision is large, the enabling environment still needs to be built in many ways, and access to sustainable investment capital remains limited and not equitably distributed. Member states and financial institutions at Our Ocean Conference must band together and dedicate resources and funding to ensure equitable access to capital directed at the most pressing global oceans challenges. It is also critically important to strengthen the alignment of public, private and philanthropic resources for greater impact.

Blue Carbon

"Ocean and coastal ecosystems serve the planet as a massive natural carbon sink, but because of climate change, overfishing and other pressures, we’ve degraded the natural pathways through which they capture and store carbon.

"To meet the climate challenge, we must understand and act on blue carbon pathways in nearshore and open ocean environments. By better understanding and strengthening the capacity of the oceans as a climate solution, we may be able to sequester more carbon, restore thriving ocean ecosystems and better protect vulnerable coastal communities. This will take a concerted effort by scientists, governments and the private sector to better understand and act on meaningful blue carbon pathways. Find out more about EDF’s approach to blue carbon.

Ecosystem Protection and 30x30

"Protecting 30% of the world’s oceans is an ambitious and energizing goal. At the same time, we recognize that the most effective and durable protected areas fit within a “100% solution” in which complementary sustainable management of surrounding waters delivers benefits for both communities and ocean health. Protected area systems are most durable, defensible and effective if they are designed with local community expertise and complementary needs prominent in the process, while also noting that strong and effective protected area networks deliver myriad benefits to local communities.

"We must also explicitly protect the rights and tenure of small-scale fishers, smallholder farmers and Indigenous Peoples and local communities through an inclusive decision-making process. Conservation objectives should be met through a combination of conservation reserves, protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. These tactics must be coupled with the sustainable management of waters outside of specific protected reserves. Finally, climate-driven shifts must also be factored into the design and management of an effective protected area network.”

(Washington, D.C. – April 7, 2022) Automakers worldwide will spend more than $515 billion through 2030 developing new electric cars and passenger trucks and battery manufacturing, according to the latest report by ERM for the Environmental Defense Fund.

The Electric Vehicle Market Update, the most recent in a series of reports, shows the rapidly accelerating momentum for electric vehicle development and production both globally and in the U.S. Switching to electric vehicles will slash climate and air pollution everywhere. In the U.S. it will improve our economy by creating new jobs, will strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on imported oil, and will save families money on fuel – all of which are especially critical now.  

“This report shows the strong momentum toward a zero-emitting future,” said Peter Zalzal, EDF Associate Vice President for Clean Air Strategies. “We are at a pivotal moment. To accelerate the progress toward zero-emitting vehicles in the U.S. and ensure that the health, climate, consumer savings and job-creating benefits they create are widely shared, it is critical that we adopt protective, durable and equitable public policies – including strong pollution safeguards.”

Today’s release is the fifth update to a report tracking the current status and projected growth of the U.S. electric vehicle industry. The original report was released in May of 2019. Today’s report found robust growth indicators for the electric vehicle sector just since the last update was published one year ago:

• Global automakers are project to spend more than $515 billion by 2030 to develop and build electric vehicles. In the U.S. alone, 13 manufacturers have already announced plans to spend more than $75 billion to open manufacturing plants in six states.
• By 2025, more than 100 battery electric vehicles are expected to be on the market and available to U.S. customers, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. These vehicles will each save their owners thousands of dollars in avoided fuel costs. 
• In the U.S. there has been strong demand for newly-announced electric vehicles. Ford has announced it will double production of its electric F-150 Lightning and there are more than 100,000 reservations for GM’s Chevy Silverado EV.
• Both global and U.S. electric vehicle sales remained strong in 2021 – up 40 percent and 4 percent year over year, respectively – even though supply chain disruptions and material shortages made the year difficult for sales of some other vehicles.
• In the U.S. the electric vehicle sector employed more than 250,000 people across the country in 2020.  Newly-announced plants will employ tens of thousands of additional American workers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also recently proposed standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks and buses and asked for comments about strengthening those standards to help ensure greater deployment of zero-emitting vehicles. Today’s report underscores the important opportunity these standards present and offers more detailed information on the rapidly-expanding market for zero-emitting freight trucks and buses in the U.S., including:

• Two new reports, including one done by Roush Industries for EDF, found that electric heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks and buses could also reach cost parity with diesel versions this decade, many by as soon as 2027.
• Fleets are making substantial commitments to zero-emitting vehicles. FedEx has said its entire global parcel pickup and delivery fleet will be zero-emitting by 2040 and Amazon has ordered 100,000 zero-emitting vehicles from Rivian.
• Other major orders since last year’s report include electric school and transit buses and Class 8 trucks.
• Manufacturers have invested almost $2 billion in medium and heavy-duty assembly plants, investments that will support approximately 15,000 direct U.S. jobs.

The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the U.S. and is a main source of other pollutants that cause smog and damage human health. Zero-emitting vehicles will help reduce this harmful pollution and are a powerful tool to address the climate crisis.

You can read the full Electric Vehicle Market Update here.

Read other recent EDF reports: Clean Cars, Clean Air, Consumer Savings here and Clean Trucks, Clean Air, American jobs.

“Congratulations to Ketanji Brown Jackson on her confirmation to the Supreme Court. Her confirmation today is a personal triumph, an historic moment for our country, and a reminder of the importance of the Court. The rule of law is the foundation of our democracy and is essential to clean air, clean water, and a safe climate. Environmental Defense Fund welcomes the vote that will seat Ketanji Brown Jackson as our nation’s 116^th Justice and the first Black woman on our highest Court.”         

  - Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund

Since 2017 Puerto Rico has been experiencing long and repeated electric services disruptions. Most recently, power outages have become especially frequent and widespread, resulting in an island-wide humanitarian and economic crisis. While some work on the system has occurred since Hurricane Maria, progress has been slow and uneven, and the lack of maintenance and investment in modern electric infrastructure is taking a real toll at a time when Puerto Rico’s communities are paying higher rates for electricity while experiencing inconsistent service and blackouts. This crisis underscores the need for Puerto Rico’s leadership to prioritize clean energy policies and plans and invest in infrastructure needed to get the island on track to source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050.

“It is unacceptable that five years after hurricane Maria nothing has fundamentally changed. The current energy crisis is dire, and Puerto Ricans and the island’s economy are suffering. We urge the government, PREPA and LUMA to find concrete solutions and take swift and effective action to resolve the situation.”

“There is plenty of blame to go around, but the focus must be in modernizing the electricity system now and for the long-term. The technology that Puerto Rico needs already exists, and its communities have been tremendously ingenious and resourceful albeit the lack of resources. It’s time to let them lead by implementing sound policies already on the books – like the Integrated Resource Plan – to bring clean, affordable and reliable energy to all Puerto Ricans.”

• Agustín F. Carbó, Senior Manager, Energy Transition

Environmental Defense Fund seeks to identify effective and equitable energy solutions that can bring clean, community-centered electricity to Puerto Rico and can meet the daily needs of its residents, while making the island more resilient to climate change. Our work centers on advancing a community-driven solar and storage project on the island of Culebra and supporting a range of partners who are driving systemic change to the energy system across Puerto Rico. We approach this work holistically, leveraging our technical expertise, sustainable financing tools and energy reform experience to help develop long-term solutions to the territory’s energy crisis. For more information, visit www.edf.org/PuertoRico.

“The world faces two profound crises – a war in Europe and the looming disaster of climate change. Both are deeply destabilizing. Both threaten international security and our global economy. Both demand action to end the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.

“If we continue to pollute the atmosphere by burning oil, gas and coal, we will see increasingly dangerous impacts, especially on the most vulnerable communities. At the same time, the war in Ukraine is making it clear that relying on fossil fuels deeply undermines all of our security – disrupting the global economy time and again.  

“But this need not be our fate. As the IPCC report makes clear, we have more ways than ever to curtail our destabilizing dependence on fossil fuels. By moving boldly to a global economy powered by clean energy and embracing natural climate solutions, we will not only reduce dangerous warming, but we can regain control over our mutual economic future. 

“One of the most important and immediate steps we can take is to cut methane pollution. Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas and emissions of it from fossil fuel operations, agriculture and other sectors cause one-quarter of current warming. Today, the US wastes billions of cubic meters of natural gas – through leaks, venting and flaring – that Europe desperately needs to replace imports from Russia. A rapid, full-scale effort to reduce methane pollution from all sources could not only help Europe but could also slow the rate of warming as much as 30%. 

“This IPCC report reinforces the critical role of tropical forest protection and natural climate solutions in curbing climate pollution, and highlights their benefits to biodiversity, food security and other ecosystem services. It also highlights carbon markets as an important tool in promoting low-cost emissions reductions and identifies international cooperation – specifically the Paris Agreement – as a key to achieving ambitious climate goals. 

“Charting a path toward a stable climate will require bold action across the world, including passage of major clean energy investments by the US Congress. While we must rapidly deploy today’s clean technologies, the report acknowledges that countries must also invest in innovation to develop and scale up new solutions that address climate pollution from difficult sectors. The war in Ukraine shows that the world can act boldly when we summon the political will. Europe, which has already been moving to clean energy, has dramatically accelerated its plans to make that transition, spurred by the need to cut dependence on Russian natural gas.  

“We must use every tool at our disposal to build a stable future – or face generations of regret.”

• Amanda Leland, Executive Director, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – April 1, 2022) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today final standards that will improve fuel economy in new cars and save Americans money on gas.

“Today’s action will mean better gas mileage in new cars and passenger trucks,” said EDF senior attorney Alice Henderson. “Those fuel efficiency improvements will deliver cost savings at the gas pump for the American people and will strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on oil at a time when the urgency for doing so could not be more profound.”

The updated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will apply to cars, minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks in model years 2024 to 2026. New cars will get 49 miles per gallon fleetwide by 2026, more than 30 percent more than model year 2021 cars. Before CAFÉ standards were first implemented in the 1970’s cars got an average of 13 miles per gallon.

The updated standards will be phased in to deliver swift savings to American families. By 2040 Americans will have saved billion of gallons of fuel - and billions of dollars for their wallets. The standards will also reduce the pollution we put into our air, reduce our dependence on imported oil, and support new well-paying jobs in the auto industry.

(Washington, DC – March 29, 2022) Environmental Defense Fund and the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) are partnering to provide local governments with the expertise and funding needed to develop climate-resilient infrastructure projects. The inaugural EDF Fellowship for Environmental Justice and Climate Equity is a two-year, $250,000 grant investment providing capacity support for AAMA mayors and collaborates with EDF to best position mayors to connect local infrastructure projects with climate and environmental justice goals.

“This is the kind of partnership needed to spur co-created, community-driven solutions that are critical to solving the climate crisis. The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report specifically identified the need to encourage government at all levels working alongside communities. Climate-resilient development is enabled when we prioritize risk reduction, equity and justice,” said Heather McTeer Toney, Vice President for Community Engagement at EDF. “It’s our hope that other organizations will see the benefits of collaboration and join us in making sure these partnerships grow and expand.”

In support of AAMA and EDF’s shared interests in improving the health and well-being of communities most impacted by environmental injustices, AAMA will use the grant funds to select a fellow to support capacity-building in the areas of public health, climate, environmental justice advocacy and clean energy initiatives in the petrochemical corridor – an 85-mile stretch of land that runs alongside the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that is home to more than 150 petrochemical plants and refineries.

AAMA CEO Phyllis Dickerson stated, “African American Mayors are leaders on the frontlines of climate change and environmental justice. At the same time, they serve centers of innovation and are the decision-makers for infrastructure development on the local level. This fellowship will be an excellent way to equip mayors with even more knowledge and resources to create solutions that their communities need and deserve.”

"Port Houston’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 is the right next step. We don’t have time to lose. The science is clear. Climate pollution is already intensifying the storms that keep pounding the Gulf Coast, threatening lives, property and safety. Harmful emissions from last century’s ships, trucks, trains and other cargo-handling equipment are already making people sick and diminishing their quality of life. EDF supports the port’s commitment to bring government, industry and community together to eliminate climate pollution and protect public health as urgently as we can. The port must start investing at least 5 percent of their spending toward their new goal and documenting their budget and work each step of the way. They must keep responding to community concerns and public pressure. They must leverage the Biden administration’s investment in infrastructure to retire their own dirty equipment. They must continue to influence the companies that use the Ship Channel to move rapidly toward full electrification of their fleets. And they must work closely with neighboring communities too long treated as sacrifice zones to make sure everyone benefits from these necessary transitions."

- Elena Craft, Senior Director for Climate and Health, Environmental Defense Fund

(GREENSBORO, NC) Climate-resilient agricultural practices can help small farms in North Carolina profit in a changing climate, according to new research by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University Cooperative Extension and Environmental Defense Fund. 

The research summarizes the real-world financial and climate resilience benefits that practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping and high tunnel use are providing three small farms in diverse growing regions: the coastal plain, the Piedmont and the mountains.

Variable and extreme weather associated with a changing climate, including severe weather events and hotter summer nights, challenge small farms. While some North Carolina farmers have adapted to these changes by switching to climate-resilient practices, other farmers need to know first that these practices also have financial benefits for their farms.

A summary report and three case studies share insights for farmers and their advisers to inform their financial decision-making when considering whether to implement climate-smart farming practices. 

“Supporting our small farms across North Carolina to adapt to a changing climate includes educating them on new practices and their financial implications,” said Mark Blevins, Ed.D., assistant administrator for agricultural and natural resources at N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension. “Our financial case studies demonstrate that practices like reduced tillage and investing in high tunnels can make farms more resilient to severe weather, while also paying off financially.”

The farmers in the case studies adopted climate-resilient practices to adapt to more variable and severe precipitation, changing growing season durations and more frequent hurricanes. They attribute better water management during severe rain events and droughts, less erosion and improved soil health to these practices.

The case studies include a partial-budget analysis of the three farms to demonstrate the changes in revenue and costs associated with adopting climate-resilient practices. 

“Adjusting farming practices to adapt to a changing climate can generate financial benefits on the farm,” says Vincent Gauthier, senior analyst at EDF. “The farmers we worked with on this project increased their revenue by growing high-value crops in high tunnels and lowered their operating costs by reducing tillage and planting cover crops.”

Holly Whitesides is one of the farmers who participated in the project. She and her husband Andy Bryant own and operate Against the Grain farm in the mountains of Zionville, North Carolina, where they grow a wide variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, greens and ginger. They also raise livestock, including cattle and pigs. They use cover crops and grow high-value crops in high tunnels. 

“By using high tunnels, we've been able to grow crops for longer seasons and have a more nuanced approach to our watering,” Whitesides said. “Cover crops and composting have reduced the mountains and the valleys of our soil moisture, so it stays more consistent over time.”

Against the Grain Farm has seen higher revenue from growing tomatoes, ginger and peppers in high tunnels and lower organic fertilizer expenses from using cover crops.

“To know your numbers is to be empowered by them,” said Whitesides. “Having the financial piece in play has helped us make good and balanced decisions.”

Read the research summary and farm case studies at ncat.edu/caes/cooperative-extension/edf.

(SACRAMENTO, CA – March 28, 2022) As a record-setting drought drags on in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order today that took several steps to drive local water conservation. Newsom called on the State Water Resources Control Board to ban businesses from watering decorative grass and to require urban water agencies to prepare for a shortage of up to 20%. In addition, Newsom’s order expedites community access to emergency drinking water supplies, permitting for groundwater recharge projects and approvals for actions to protect fish and wildlife threatened by drought.

“We applaud Gov. Newsom for taking a multipronged approach to building resilience in our water systems. There is no single silver bullet solution to adapting to the more extreme swings in weather that climate change is causing and we need all hands on deck — city residents and urban water agencies, farmers and rural communities, conservationists — to do all we can to prepare for the likelihood of drought persisting for another year or more.  

Expediting groundwater recharge projects is one important way to ensure we are better able to seize opportunities to store excess water during winter storms like the atmospheric rivers in October and December. Despite those events, it has still been a very dry winter, which makes it increasingly obvious that there simply isn’t enough water to go around. Consequently, we must remain laser-focused on meeting the needs of people and nature through a wide variety of strategies, including groundwater recharge, strategic farmland repurposing, water conservation and reuse.”

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

(Washington, D.C. –March 28, 2022) Today President Biden released the outlines of his Fiscal Year 2023 budget request that includes critical environmental and clean energy investments to move the U.S. forward in solving the climate crisis.

“After years of underfunding at our core environmental agencies and for environmental programs throughout the federal government, we have the opportunity and the resources to once again implement science-based policies which will promote innovative climate research, advance environmental justice, and create clean energy jobs here at home,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President at Environmental Defense Fund.  “Unlike the previous administration’s years of attacks on environmental enforcement and public health protections, President Biden’s budget proposal shows a renewed national commitment to cutting emissions and reducing the impact of climate change.”

EDF applauds the numerous public health and climate wins in this budget, which include:

• $11.9 billion for EPA, an increase of $2.25 billion from the FY22 enacted level, including increased funding for TSCA efforts and air quality monitoring.
• $48.2 billion for the Department of Energy, an increase of $3.3 billion from the FY22 enacted level.
• $17.5 billion for the Department of the Interior, an increase of $3.6 billion from the FY22 enacted level.
• $6.9 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an increase of $1.02 billion over the FY22 enacted level.
• $700 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy, while also proposing expanded authority for the agency to close gaps in the climate fight.
• Over $321 million to clean up abandoned mines and orphaned oil and gas wells, complementing the $16 billion provided in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.
• $1.4 billion under the Department of Transportation to deploy a nationwide, publicly accessible network of electric vehicle chargers and other alternative fueling infrastructure
• $11 billion for international climate finance, including $1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund.

Congress should follow the president’s lead and enact these strong, climate-forward investments to protect American families.

(RALEIGH, NC. – March 28, 2022) A new report from Environmental Defense Fund, which analyzed emissions data from the Rhodium Group U.S. Climate Service, finds that North Carolina will fall short of its 2025 and 2030 climate targets without additional policies to curb emissions.

EDF’s analysis finds that under state policies in place as of May 2021, North Carolina is projected to achieve a 27% reduction in economy-wide emissions by 2025, missing its 40% reduction target set by Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 80. Assuming that the state achieves the 70% power-sector pollution reduction goal set by House Bill 951 without delays, North Carolina could achieve a 28% to 38% reduction in economy-wide emissions by 2030 – well short of its 50% target set by Executive Order 246. These findings align with the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s recent greenhouse gas inventory, demonstrating that North Carolina will need to take swift action to meet its critical climate goals.

“Governor Cooper has set the stage for strong climate action, but North Carolina must turn those pledges into policy that meets its critical pollution reduction goals,” said Michelle Allen, Project Manager for North Carolina Political Affairs at EDF. “This report makes clear that North Carolina needs to quickly implement solutions that deliver for North Carolina communities. Strong, equitable climate policies will help North Carolina reap the economic benefits of the growing clean energy economy, while improving air quality, especially for communities that currently bear a disproportionate share of harmful air pollution.”

Gov Cooper issued Executive Order 80 in 2018 and Executive Order 246 in January 2022, committing the state to reduce economy-wide emissions 40% from 2005 levels by 2025 and at least 50% from 2005 levels by 2030, respectively.

In late 2021, pollution goals recommended in the state’s Clean Energy Plan – to reduce carbon emissions from the electric-power sector 70% from 2005 levels by 2030 –  were codified by the NC General Assembly in HB 951, requiring the North Carolina Utilities Commission to develop a “Carbon Plan” to reduce emissions from public utilities in line with this goal. The report’s estimate of a 28% to 38% reduction in economy-wide emissions by 2030 represents a best-case scenario that assumes the NCUC adopts strong power sector policies to achieve carbon reductions without delay.  

To close North Carolina’s emissions gap, the report recommends that Gov Cooper pursue the following actions:

• Lock in pollution reductions in the power sector: Ramping up clean energy is key to not only reducing pollution from electricity, but also for cleaning up other sectors, such as transportation and buildings, that rely on electricity. Adopting a strong Carbon Plan that drives out fossil fuels and expands clean energy will be a determining factor in achieving power-sector goals. A program like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is being harnessed by 11 eastern states to lower climate pollution from power plants, is under consideration by state environmental regulators and could also play a key role in driving progress toward North Carolina’s power sector climate goals.
• Pursue a comprehensive approach to clean transportation: Currently, transportation contributes the largest share of the state’s emissions, and that portion may grow to 42% to 46% of the state’s emissions in 2030. While EO 246 takes an important step in setting a goal to reach 1,250,000 registered zero-emission vehicles by 2030, North Carolina will need to identify solutions to achieve those targets while simultaneously driving down pollution from existing fleets.
• Identify new ways to cut pollution across the economy: The state’s forthcoming Deep Decarbonization Pathways Analysis will be an important step to take a comprehensive, economy-wide view and identify additional sector-specific approaches to reduce emissions. It is critical that the state determine the most viable pathway to decarbonize across the economy and move quickly to put them into action. 

Read the full report here.

(March 25, 2022) A collective of community and environmental groups is asking an Illinois appeals court to overturn a flawed decision to allow a natural gas pipeline to be built in Pembroke Township – an historic Black farming community whose concerns were not considered in the approval process and who could be severely harmed by the pipeline.

The Illinois Commerce Commission recently approved the project for gas utility Nicor even though few of Pembroke’s 1,700 residents will be able to use natural gas and many are fighting for renewable energy for their community instead. The pipeline threatens both a globally rare ecosystem called Black Oak Savanna and the healthy, organic soil in the area that has been preserved through 150 years of careful agricultural stewardship. Environmental Defense Fund, the Pembroke Environmental Justice Coalition, and Blacks in Green filed a petition for review with the Appellate Court of Illinois for the Third Judicial District.

“Adding new long-lived fossil fuel infrastructure just when clean energy is within reach is a step backwards, and it’s being done on the backs of those who can least afford it,” said Christie Hicks, lead counsel for Environmental Defense Fund. “Generations of residents will be saddled with the burdens of this project without seeing any benefits.”

“If we aren’t careful, Black farming and the entire ecosystem can be gone because of cavalier, reckless, inconsiderate actions by Nicor,” said Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter of the Pembroke Environmental Justice Coalition. “Our farmers will suffer the environmental, economic, and emotional impacts of disruptive pipeline construction, but natural gas service will be prohibitively expensive for us. We want to lead the way to a clean energy future. We don’t want this pipeline.”

“When community perspectives aren’t meaningfully considered, inequities in our energy system are perpetuated, Black household budgets are over-burdened, and real lives are put at risk. Utilities provide life essential services where affordability is key,” said Naomi Davis, Executive Director of Blacks in Green. “As gas continues to rise, shutoffs increase, and wealthier customers move to electric heat, Nicor customers are left to pay for this new pipeline for decades to come – regardless of whether a single customer in Pembroke uses their gas.”

Pembroke Township is about 100 miles south of Chicago. It was founded by freedom-seeking enslaved people in the 1860’s, was once the largest Black farming community north of the Mason-Dixon line and is an independent Black agricultural hub to this day. Generations of families have been meticulous stewards of the land there. As a predominantly Black and low-income community, Pembroke would qualify for clean energy programs and funding under Illinois’ new equity-focused climate law – an idea that is widely popular in the community.

Pembroke’s rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystem have been preserved so well that its environment remains much as it was hundreds of years ago. It is home to the remaining Black Oak Savanna that covered more than a million acres when glaciers retreated from the region.

In spite of all those circumstances, the Illinois Commerce Commission granted Nicor the authority to construct, operate and maintain more than 30 miles of new pipes and facilities in the area to bring natural gas to a few hundred customers in one-tenth of the township. Residents in Pembroke have said they do not want or need the natural gas, and in many cases would be financially unable to use it because of the high and largely unsubsidized cost of converting to the fuel. Nicor plans to use easements to construct the new pipeline on or near farm areas. Disturbances associated with construction would destroy soil composition and structure, generate uncompensated financial loss for local farmers, and threaten the safety of both farmland and the Black Oak Savanna.

The groups are appealing to the courts on the grounds that the Illinois Commerce Commission’s decision was not supported by substantial evidence in the record, did not recognize Nicor’s failure to meet statutory requirements, and contravened the governing law. Pembroke Environmental Justice Coalition is represented by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. 

(Washington, D.C. – March 18, 2022) The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today announced a proposal that would require publicly traded companies to disclose their risks from climate change – a long overdue step that would help ensure investors have the relevant information they need to make prudent financial decisions.

“Climate-related financial risks are already significant and growing every day. In the last two years alone, the United States has suffered from more than 40 weather and climate disasters that each caused at least one billion dollars in economic damages,” said Michael Panfil, EDF Director of Climate Risk Strategies. “Investors need to understand the size and scope of climate risk, and today’s proposal is a welcome step toward that goal.”

The SEC has the clear and explicit authority to ensure publicly traded companies disclose financial risks. Today’s proposal is designed to help fulfill this objective and aims to equip investors with relevant climate risk information necessary to make sound investment decisions – an outcome made more urgent in light of the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council’s recent report that found “climate change is an emerging threat to the financial stability of the United States.” Other countries, from the United Kingdom to New Zealand to Japan, have already taken concrete steps to require that the mounting harms of climate change to their financial systems are proactively identified and understood. In contrast, the U.S. has until now relied on voluntary disclosure guidelines that have resulted in insufficient disclosures.

Investors, asset managers, and many companies that would be subject to reporting requirements have been telling the SEC to mandate climate risk disclosures. Ninety-three percent of institutional investors believe that climate-related financial risk “has yet to be priced in by all the key financial markets globally.” BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has called for strong, mandatory climate disclosure rules to improve their ability to prudently manage investments. Large American businesses from Apple to Walmart to FedEx have expressed support for the SEC’s plans to mandate climate risk disclosure. EDF and other organizations also submitted comments supporting climate disclosure requirements to the SEC last June.

“The U.S. financial system is healthiest when investors are able to have all relevant data and make informed decisions on the basis of that available information,” said Panfil. “Today’s SEC proposal is a good step toward achieving a more efficient market and stronger economy. It should be swiftly finalized.”