Complete list of press releases

A poll of the Detroit area released today by WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Environmental Defense Fund showed that two thirds of Detroit adults (66%) say investments in clean energy would contribute to job growth in the U.S. That includes 81% of Black Detroit adults and 62% of white Detroit adults. Two thirds of Detroiters also say the use of clean energy and clean transportation in the U.S. would reduce air pollution in their own communities.

The poll showed that concern about air pollution and climate change is high among people in the Detroit area, particularly Black residents. Black adults in the Detroit area (58%) are nearly twice as likely as whites (30%) to say they are very concerned about air pollution in their local community. Over two thirds of Detroit adults (69%) are concerned about climate change in their own community, with Black adults (71%) even more likely than white adults (55%) to say climate change is a major problem.

“I recently visited Detroit to work with Green Door Initiatives and East Michigan Environmental Action Council and was overwhelmed by the lack of investment in Detroit’s communities of color,” said Kerene Tayloe, Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “I was even more appalled to see Marathon refineries in such close proximity to homes, schools, and churches in the predominantly black neighborhood in Detroit’s 48217 zip code. It makes sense that Black Detroiters are more concerned about jobs, pollution and climate change. The impacts are literally at their doorsteps.”

The poll also revealed Black adults in Detroit are significantly more likely than white adults in Detroit to say that environmental injustice is a problem, with 61% of Black Detroit adults viewing it as a major problem in the U.S., compared with 38% of white adults.

Morning Consult conducted this survey, on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund and WE ACT, between October 10th – October 16th, 2020 among a sample of 279 adults in the Detroit area. The interviews were conducted online. Results from the survey have a margin error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

View the Detroit poll memo here.

View the national release and memo here: 

(Washington, D.C. – October 27, 2020) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit established a swift briefing schedule today in the case challenging the Trump EPA’s rollback of vital protections against oil and gas methane pollution. A divided three-judge panel also declined to issue a stay of that rollback while it considers the case, with Judge Rogers indicating she would have granted the stay requests.

“Protecting human health and the environment from oil and gas pollution is one of the most important solutions for our nation to ensure healthier, longer lives for the millions afflicted by this dangerous pollution,” said Peter Zalzal, lead attorney for Environmental Defense Fund, which is a party to the case. “We look forward to presenting the compelling case on the merits that the Trump administration’s clean air loopholes are unlawful and rejected by numerous states and industry alike.”

Methane is a major contributor to climate change. It’s a greenhouse gas that is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the first two decades after its release. Oil and gas operations are the largest industrial source of methane pollution in the U.S.

In 2016, EPA set standards to reduce methane pollution from new, reconstructed and modified sources in the oil and gas sector. The 2016 standards rely on low-cost, commonsense, and widely available measure that major oil and gas producing states and some companies have likewise deployed to reduce emissions. However, two months ago the Trump administration signed two rules that together would drastically weaken or eliminate those standards.

The Trump EPA rollback would increase methane pollution, volatile organic compounds, and other dangerous air pollutants. Analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund found that 9.3 million people live within half a mile of one of the older wells that the rollback would leave forever excluded from basic EPA air pollution standards. Millions of these people belong to groups that are much more susceptible to the health impacts of polluted air (including children and adults over 65) or have historically borne an oversized burden of local air pollution (including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and people living below the poverty line).

EDF and nine other health and environmental groups – Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, Ft. Berthold Protectors of Water and Earth Rights, Food & Water Watch, Environmental Integrity Project, Earthworks, Clean Air Council, and Center for Biological Diversity – filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump EPA’s rollback of the methane standards. A coalition of 24 states, led by California, also sued.

Today’s court order provides that briefs challenging the rollback are due on December 7, with the case fully briefed by January 27, 2021.

(NEW YORK - October 26, 2020) A new poll released today by WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Environmental Defense Fund reveals that many white Americans don’t recognize the higher levels of pollution in Black, Latino and low-income neighborhoods.

The poll, conducted nationally by Morning Consult, found that fewer than 4 in 10 white adults are aware that both Latino and Black communities face more pollution than the general population. In addition, 60% of respondents across the U.S. who identified as Black said they were very concerned about air pollution exposure in their community versus 32% of white adult respondents.

Perceptions of environmental impacts varied along racial and ethnic lines as well, as 51% of Black respondents and 48% of Latino respondents believe that environmental injustice is a major problem in the U.S., versus 33% of white adult respondents. Black and Latino respondents also reported high concern about climate change in their local community, with 52% of those who identify as Black and 50% of people who identify as Latino saying they are “very concerned” versus 38% of those who identify as white.

“We must challenge and change the biases that perpetuate an inequitable and unjust response to the climate crisis and that starts with establishing a common knowledge base about environmental exposures and their impacts,” said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “The hope is that this poll will facilitate substantive discourse that brings energy democracy and economic benefit to low-income communities, improves indoor and outdoor air quality to meet rigorous standards, and produces green spaces and healthy food systems that positively influence our morbidity and mortality rates.”

“Government policies and private sector decisions have led to higher levels of pollution and dangerous health impacts in Black and Latino neighborhoods – yet this poll shows not enough white Americans understand the reality these communities face. We need to continue educating and, at the same time, advocate for specific policies to address this unacceptable inequity,” said Fred Krupp, president of EDF. “I’m grateful to WE ACT for partnering with us on this poll so we can start to close this knowledge gap and push for action.”

The survey shows that concern about climate change and its impact on the economy is more prevalent among Black and Latino respondents than white respondents.

• 68% of Latino respondents, and 66% of Black respondents say climate change is a major problem, compared to 53% of white respondents
• 65% of Black respondents say climate change is a threat to the economy in their local community, compared to only 51% of white respondents who said so, a 14 point difference.
• 71% of Black respondents say climate change has impacted the U.S. economy, while only 55% of white respondents say so.

By significant margins, all Black, Latino and white Americans responding to the poll want the U.S. to prioritize passing legislation to increase use of clean energy and clean transportation. Seven in ten respondents (81% Black, 73% Latino, 71% white) agree that clean energy jobs would help people in communities like their own.

More information on how pollution and climate change impact Black and Latino communities is available here and here.

Morning Consult conducted a survey, on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund and WE ACT, between October 9th – October 11th, 2020 among a national sample of 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online. Results from the survey have a margin error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

View the national poll memo here.

View full national poll with crosstabs here.

View the Detroit specific release and memo here. 

View information on the Houston specific data here.

“The United States needs to stay focused on aggressive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we recognize the need for carbon removal technologies and solutions in order to reach the goal of net zero emissions across the economy by 2050 and avert the worst impact of climate change. EDF thanks Reps. Kuster (D-NH), McKinley (R-WV), Tonko (D-NY), Gonzalez (R-OH), Peters (D-CA), Fortenberry (R-NE), O’Halleran (D-AZ) and Schweikert (R-AZ) for their leadership in introducing the Carbon Removal, Efficient Agencies, Technology Expertise (CREATE) Act, an important bipartisan bill that coordinates efforts across the federal government to research, develop, and demonstrate these crucial technologies.” 

-Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Today, in a reply brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, EDF rebutted the attempt by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to defend its approval of a 66-mile natural gas pipeline in Illinois and Missouri. EDF asked the Court to strike down FERC’s approval and to order the agency to fulfill its statutory obligation to protect the public interest and meaningfully consider the adverse impacts of new, costly infrastructure. 

The reply brief filed today by EDF states:

“Ignoring its independent obligations as the guardian of the public interest, FERC allowed a private business decision to override the wide-sweeping public interest ramifications—on the affiliates’ captive customers, the viability of neighboring pipelines, the degradation of the environment, and the persistent and invasive seizure of private property by eminent domain.”

Despite evidence showing a lack of need for the Project, FERC approved the Spire STL Pipeline based exclusively on an agreement for new capacity entered into between affiliated corporate entities, the pipeline developer, Spire STL, and its retail gas utility customer, Spire Missouri.  These transactions warrant additional scrutiny from regulators because they shift unnecessary risks and costs to customers. FERC’s failure to fulfill its statutory obligations has led to serious consequences, including asking customers to pay over $600 million in costs for unneeded infrastructure, degradation of the environment, and the invasive seizure of private property by eminent domain.

A diverse set of experts and organizations have filed amicus briefs in support of EDF. 

The American Antitrust Institute demonstrates the threat affiliate contracts pose, stating that “[b]ecause FERC failed to evaluate these basic economic realities and the accompanying market facts that illuminate their consequences, it failed to adequately assess need under the Natural Gas Act.”

Dr. Sue Tierney, a former regulator and utility expert, states that “Spire is what happens when the Commission fails its [Natural] Gas Act obligations, and threatens to become a new industry norm absent the Court’s enforcement of that law.”  

FERC issued its initial approval for the Spire STL project in August 2018. EDF sought rehearing of that decision, which FERC denied. FERC allowed Spire STL to complete construction and begin operating the pipeline despite serious legal concerns. EDF filed this legal challenge to FERC’s approval of the Spire STL project in January; EDF filed its initial brief in June.

(HOUSTON – Oct. 22, 2020) Renowned chefs went back to school today — with the help of a Texas fisher and farmer — to showcase the importance of sustainable Gulf seafood to students and their families as part of Environmental Defense Fund’s “Everyone’s Gulf” program.

The chefs were part of a virtual cooking class highlighting sustainably caught seafood, attended by Houston area students and families from the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success, Pasadena High School and Pasadena Memorial High School. The event gave students a chance to not only learn about the environmental and economic benefits of sustainable fishing, but also about how the Gulf of Mexico is a place for everyone to enjoy and protect. Everyone’s Gulf is a project of Environmental Defense Fund that educates people in the Gulf of Mexico region about nutrition, seafood sustainability and equitable natural resource access.

Award-winning chefs Evelyn Garcia of Houston’s Kin in Politan Row and Chef Nick Wallace of Jackson, Mississippi, both champions of the popular cooking show “Chopped,” led the students in preparing a meal of red snapper — a Gulf classic — that was shipped from Katie’s Seafood Market in Galveston. Local produce to complement the dish was provided by Galveston’s Own Farmers Market. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) of Houston was in attendance and spoke to students. Also participating were Casey McAuliffe, executive director of Galveston’s Own Farmers Market, and Captain Scott Hickman, fisherman and owner of Circle H Outfitters. The schools that took part in the event are participants in Environmental Defense Fund’s Environmental Youth Council, a program designed to teach high school students about environmental health, climate and civic engagement.

Rep. Garcia discussed her support of the overall effort. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Environmental Defense Fund for its Everyone’s Gulf virtual cooking class,” said Rep. Garcia. “This great event will help teach young people in our district more about sustainable seafood in the Gulf of Mexico, and how we can better connect communities in the Houston region to healthier, more sustainable cooking.”

Chef Evelyn Garcia was born and raised in Houston, graduating high school from the Cy-Fair Culinary Academy and continuing her studies at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She has worked at several top restaurants in New York City, and in 2014, she competed on the Food Network’s “Chopped” competition. Chef Garcia’s Southeast Asian-influenced cuisine can currently be enjoyed at Kin in the Politan Row food hall in Houston.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Everyone’s Gulf. Especially since we’re in Houston — which is so close to the Gulf of Mexico but still unreachable to some. It is important to me as a chef to be able to reach out to these families, to show them and to teach them about sustainable seafood,” said Chef Garcia. “Both in the restaurant and at home, I want people to appreciate and be able to use local and sustainable products.”

Chef Wallace hails from Edwards, Mississippi, a community around 30 miles west of Jackson. He received his degree in food and beverage management from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi. He has served as executive chef at a number of Jackson hotels and at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Chef Wallace founded his own company, Nick Wallace Culinary, in 2014. He has also competed on “Chopped,” and is the founder of Creativity Kitchen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting children with healthy, farm-fresh foods, which partnered with Environmental Defense Fund for the 2019 Everyone’s Gulf event in Jackson.

“I believe that there is always something new to learn,” said Chef Wallace. “In fact, that is one of the three reasons that I chose to become a chef, that my education is never over.”

The Gulf of Mexico is a valuable resource to local communities, supporting jobs on land and at sea. Last year, commercial fishermen landed nearly 1.4 billion pounds of seafood, valued at more than $800 million. With many restaurants closed due to the pandemic, a major market for U.S.-caught seafood disappeared almost overnight. More than 60% of seafood is purchased in restaurants.

“The students who participated in today’s event got a little taste of the Gulf, and a first-hand education about the importance of harvesting seafood in a sustainable and responsible way,” said Eric Schwaab, senior vice president of Environmental Defense Fund, Oceans program. “They can take pride in the delicious meals they crafted, and in the amazing recovery of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, which is one of the greatest conservation success stories of our time.”

For 20 years, EDF has worked with local fishermen to align the long-term sustainability of Gulf fisheries with the economic goals of the businesses that depend on them. For example, Gulf red snapper — once driven to the brink of collapse by decades of overfishing — has made a remarkable comeback. Since 2007, the population has tripled in size. Fresh Gulf red snapper is now available year-round to the seafood supply chain and American seafood lovers, and it is recognized by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch as a sustainable choice.

As the Environmental Defense Fund indicated in comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday on the proposed rule to control air pollution from airplanes and airplane engines, it is patently illegal for EPA, having found that aviation climate pollution endangers public health and welfare, to propose a standard that achieves, in EPA’s own words, “no benefit (no emission reduction).”    

“Our nation is in a climate crisis. To avoid catastrophic climate impacts, it is imperative that heat-trapping emissions go down. But as EPA’s own analysis indicates, the proposed standard will not drive emissions down. It simply embodies what the industry has already baked in. To justify its approach, EPA relied on a problematic estimate of the costs of doing nothing, arbitrarily ignoring the real costs of climate pollution that people across the country are facing every day.  

“EPA has a chance to put in place a stringent set of aircraft pollution standards that would not only help clean our air and put airlines in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, but that could also help restore the public’s faith in flying.  

“As the aviation industry tries to bounce back from COVID, it must put addressing the climate crisis at the core of its recovery – and government needs to lead the way. A stringent aircraft pollution standard would mean jobs building the aircraft and creating the fuels of the future.  Instead, EPA’s proposed aircraft rule ignores the science and contravenes laws that require it to protect public health and the environment.

“We urge EPA to replace its proposal with standards that will actually reduce aircraft emissions, as one key element of a broader package of carrots and sticks to get the aviation industry to take real steps to cut climate pollution.” 

• Annie Petsonk, International Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund 

“EDF applauds Representatives Barragán and Clarke for their commitment to build more resilient communities and prioritize environmental justice through expanded investments in clean energy microgrids. By ensuring we have strong and resilient electricity infrastructure, the Energy Resilient Communities Act helps provide critical protections for communities in the face of increasingly intense and destructive extreme weather events driven by the climate crisis.” -

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

(WASHINGTON – Oct. 20, 2020) The following is a statement from Eric Schwaab, senior vice president of EDF Oceans program, on the introduction of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act:

 “EDF thanks the chairs of the House Natural Resources Committee and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis — Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3) and Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) — for their leadership in introducing the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act. The bill tackles some of the greatest challenges facing our oceans and coasts, while also drawing on the power of the ocean to drive global climate solutions.

 “EDF enthusiastically supports the blue carbon title and the authorization of increased investments in coastal resilience, adaptation and restoration. We celebrate the inclusion of provisions in the bill that would monitor and minimize carbon emissions from shipping vessels. EDF also welcomes the creation of a new task force charged with responding to the management challenges brought about as fish stocks shift across state and management council jurisdictions due to climate change.

 “Protecting 30% of the nation’s oceans is an ambitious and energizing goal. Bringing all communities with an interest in ocean health into the process of identifying and designating areas will cement the multi-faceted benefits protected areas can bring to enhancing biodiversity, protecting critical habitats and blue carbon reserves, and securing human wellness and livelihoods in the face of multiple stressors.

 “We look forward to continuing to work with the committee as the bill moves forward this year and next Congress.”

Albany, NY (October 16, 2020) – Diverse organizations from across the state are urging Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to maintain funding for environmental programs to create jobs, fortify local economies, and address the climate crisis. In a letter sent to the leaders on Wednesday, 176 groups called environmental funding critical to the health, safety, and prosperity of all New Yorkers.

“As the COVID pandemic has once again demonstrated, clear air, clean water and outdoor recreation are critical in protecting public health. When making difficult funding decisions, these resources and services must be recognized as essential.”

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie:

Public funding to protect clean air and water, create and maintain local parks and enhance recreation, tackle climate change and its impacts, and conserve natural resources is critical to the health, safety and prosperity of all New Yorkers. With the $3 billion Environmental Bond Act removed from the November 2020 ballot, it is imperative that New York State maintain environmental funding. State environmental funding furthers the goals of the Bond Act while creating good-paying jobs, strengthening local economies, and advancing environmental justice in frontline communities.

In the past, the environment has been treated like a luxury and all too often taken disproportionate funding cuts when the state faced financial crises. But environmental funding programs create jobs and economic opportunity, and, as the COVID pandemic has once again demonstrated, clear air, clean water and outdoor recreation are critical in protecting public health. When making difficult funding decisions, these resources and services must be recognized as essential. This funding also demonstrates a commitment by the state that can be used to leverage federal funds, specifically for future job-creating stimulus funding that could expand our ability to build resilience. Furthermore, the current impacts and dire threats we face from climate change remain during hard economic times and addressing them now will save money and lives, both now and in the long run. Hard economic times like these demand that we protect and enhance the environment we share, and in doing so, we can create solutions that will ensure we build a more prosperous future.

Our organizations join with New York State, local governments, and many other stakeholders to call on Congress to ensure federal assistance to state and local governments to help cover public health costs and economic impacts through COVID relief legislation. Federal support for critical government services will continue to be a top priority.

Additionally, as New York State leaders continue work to address the pandemic and state budget deficit, our organizations urge that the following state programs are at least maintained at currently appropriated levels, deployed effectively throughout the state, and that no further cuts to or sweeps from environmental programs be contemplated. These programs provide essential services with unique, cross-cutting benefits for New Yorkers in every county of the state, and this work must continue.

Environmental Protection Fund (EPF)
The $300 million EPF supports 350,000 jobs across the state, and EPF-supported industries generate approximately $40 billion in economic activity every year. EPF projects and programs directly address issues facing New York as we manage the pandemic and fiscal crisis. From improving water quality and community infrastructure, to providing resources for environmental justice organizations and conserving natural resources that reduce pollution and protect communities from storms, the EPF delivers programs New Yorkers need now, more than ever.

Parks 2020 and DEC New York Works Programs
Since its creation in 2010, Parks 2020 has funded $1 billion in upgrades to New York’s world-class state parks system. Every dollar invested in state parks generates $5 of economic activity. During the COVID crisis, state residents have relied on these parks to recreate, get exercise, and find solace during extremely difficult times. Local construction jobs associated with park development have been an economic lifeline for many communities. Opportunities to expand these benefits by creating new parks and improving existing parks in underserved areas exist throughout the state.

Furthermore, for the last several fiscal years, NYSDEC has received approximately $40 million in New York Works funding annually for critical environmental capital projects, including approximately $55 million to support the “Adventure New York” Program, aimed at creating new recreational opportunities and infrastructure to support the record visitation our state lands are now experiencing. These projects protect natural resources, enhance visitor safety and experience, and create new access to the outdoors in all regions of the state. In addition to Adventure New York, capital funding for NYSDEC supports critical health and safety projects that protect the environment and the people of New York State.

Clean Water Infrastructure Act
To date, the State has provided $3.9 billion for water infrastructure programs, including the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, and Governor Cuomo committed an additional $1.5 billion over the next three years as part of the SFY2019 budget for a total commitment of $5.4 billion. New York’s drinking water and wastewater systems need tens of billions of dollars in upgrades to ensure our communities have clean, safe water and our bays, harbors, lakes and rivers are not polluted. With county and local budgets stretched beyond their limits, funding for maintaining and upgrading our water infrastructure and addressing emerging contaminants threatening our safe drinking water is essential to protecting public health. In addition, this program is a strong job generator, with every $1 million in state investment resulting in 17 local jobs.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Program
Over the course of the program, $228 million of RGGI funds (that is 17% of total funding) have been transferred by NYSERDA to the state General Fund, depriving New Yorkers of funding that could have lowered energy bills and created good jobs. RGGI has received more than its fair share of cuts and it is more critical than ever that these funds be fully dedicated to implementing New York’s programs focused on addressing climate change, including the Green Jobs Green NY program, and meeting the state’s ambitious goals in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. A diversion of RGGI resources from NYSERDA will be economically and environmentally harmful to the state in the long run.

Each of the above programs creates thousands of jobs, saves communities and taxpayers money, and supports several multi-billion dollar sectors of the economy, including but not limited to agriculture, outdoor recreation, construction, tourism and commercial fishing. These programs also leverage federal, local and private dollars to deliver important services to residents, which New York cannot afford to lose. With these many important benefits in mind, we urge the Legislature and Governor Cuomo to maintain funding for these important and successful programs, and pass legislation to reauthorize a $3 billion environmental Bond Act on a future ballot.
 

Sincerely,

+ POOL, Kara Meyer, Managing Director

Adirondack Council, Kevin Chlad, Director of Government Relations

Adirondack Land Trust, Mike Carr, Executive Director

Adirondack Mountain Club, Michael Barrett, Executive Director

Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, David Gibson, Managing Partner

Agricultural Stewardship Association, Teri Ptacek, Executive Director

Alley Pond Environmental Center, Inc, Irene V. Scheid, Executive Director

Alliance for a Green Economy, Jessica Azulay, Executive Director

Alliance for the Great Lakes, Crystal M.C. Davis, Vice President of Policy & Strategic Engagement

American Farmland Trust, Samantha Levy, New York Policy Manager

Appalachian Mountain Club, Kimberly Witt, Mid Atlantic Policy Manager

Association for a Better New York, Steven Rubenstein, Chairman

Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Lhakpa Tsering, Executive Director

Audubon New York, Erin McGrath, Policy Manager

Audubon Society of the Capital Region, Teresa Murphy, President

Bedford Audubon, Suzanne Cahill, Executive Director

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director

Capital Roots, Amy Klein, Chief Executive Officer

Catskill Center, Jeff Senterman, Executive Director

Catskill Mountainkeeper, Katherine Nadeau, Deputy Director

Central Westchester Audubon Society, Lisa Curtis, President

Champlain Area Trails, Chris Maron, Executive Director

Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, John Jablonski III, Executive Director

Chemung Valley Audubon Society

Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director

City Parks Foundation

Clean and Healthy New York, Kathleen A. Curtis, Executive Director

Climate XChange, Michael Green, Executive Director, Coalition of Living Museums

Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, Carol DiPaolo, Programs Director, Water-Monitoring Coordinator

Columbia Land Conservancy, Peter R. Paden, Executive Director

Concerned Citizens of Montauk, Laura Tooman, President

Defend H2O, Kevin McAllister, President

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Susan O’Handley, Co-President

Earthjustice, Courtney Bowie, Managing Attorney, Northeast Office

Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, Byron Young, President

Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve, Inc., Anne Rhoads, Executive Director

Empire State Forest Products Association, John K. Bartow, Jr., Executive Director

Environmental Advocates of NY, Kate Kurera, Deputy Director

Environmental Defense Fund, Mark Rupp, Director, State-Federal Policy & Affairs, Ecosystems

Finger Lakes - Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance, Kristy LaManche, Program Coordinator

Finger Lakes Land Trust, Andrew Zepp, Executive Director

Food & Water Action, Eric Weltman, Senior Organizer

Four Harbors Audubon Society, Joyann Cirigliano, President/ Strategic Planning Chair

Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation

Friends of the Bay, Heather Johnson, Executive Director

Friends of the Upper Delaware River, Jeff Skelding, Executive Director

Friends of Tillson Lake, Inc., Morey Gottesman, President

Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve, Jay Burney, Chair

Genesee Land Trust, Gay Mills, Executive Director

Genesee Valley Audubon Society, June Summers, President

Genesee Valley Conservancy, Inc., Benjamin Gajewski, Executive Director

Grassroots Gardens WNY, Jeanette Koncikowski, Executive Director

Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, Laura Weinberg, President

Great South Bay Audubon Society, Annette Brownell, Treasurer

Green Ossining, Suzie Ross, Chairperson

Greene Land Trust, Robert Knighton, President

Groundwork Hudson Valley, Brigitte Griswold, Executive Director

Group for the East End, Robert S. DeLuca, President

HabitatMap, Michael Heimbinder, Executive Director

Hampton Bays Civic Association, Maria N. Hults, President

Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association, Lisa DeLeeuw, Executive Director

HEALTHY SCHOOLS NETWORK, Claire L. Barnett, MBA, Executive Director

Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, Eric Swenson, Executive Director

Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Michelle Smith, Executive Director

Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester, Frances Greenberg, President

Hudson Valley Fishermen’s Association

Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Inc., Karen Joy Miller, Founder and President

Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society, Simone DaRos, Board Member

Indian River Lakes Conservancy, Elliott D. Hillback Jr, Board Chairperson

Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Christine Santora, Assistant Director

Keuka Outlet Trail, Tom McGuigan, Board Member - Keuka Outlet Trail

Kingston Land Trust, Julia Farr, Executive Director

Lake Agawam Conservancy, Meghan Nadosy Magyar, Board Member

Lake George Land Conservancy, Jamie Brown, Executive Director

Lake Placid Land Conservancy, Kerry Crowningshield, Executive Director

Land Trust Alliance, Meme Hanley, Senior New York Program Manager

Lewisboro Land Trust, Bobbe Stultz, Co-Chair

Long Island Contractors’ Association, Inc., Marc Herbst, Executive Director

Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Richard Amper, Executive Director

Manhasset Bay Protection Committee, Sarah Deonarine, Executive Committee

Mianus River Gorge, Roderick G Christie, Executive Director

Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Mark King, Executive Director

Mohonk Preserve, Kevin Case, President & CEO

Moms for a Non Toxic New York, Alexandra Zissu, Ulster County Chapter Head

Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District, David Ganim, District Manager

Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Guy Jacob, Conservation Chair

Natural Areas Conservancy, Sarah Charlop-Powers, Executive Director

Natural Resources Defense Council, Richard Schrader, Policy and Legislative Director

New Rochelle, Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle

New York Botanical Garden

New York Building Congress, Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., President & CEO

New York City Audubon, Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director

New York League of Conservation Voters, Julie Tighe, President

New York State Assc. of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3), Kelli Timbrook, President

New York State Laborers’ Union

New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, Charles J. Ruffing, Director

New York State Urban Forestry Council, Karen H. Emmerich, President

New Yorkers for Parks, Adam Ganser, Executive Director

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Joshua Howard, Executive Director

Newtown Creek Alliance, Lisa Bloodgood, Director of Advocacy and Education

North Fork Audubon Society, Debra O’Kane, President

North Fork Environmental Council, Susan MacKenzie, President

North Salem Open Land Foundation, Jocko McKean, Executive Director

North Shore Audubon Society, Peggy Maslow, President

Northern Catskills Audubon Society, Inc., Larry Federman, President

Northern New York Audubon, Joan Collins, Conservation Chair

NY Climate Reality Chapters Coalition, Tim Guinee, Legislative Action Coordinator

NY Product Stewardship Council, Andrew Radin, Board Chair

NY Water Environment Association, William J. Nylic, III, President

NYC Audubon, Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director

NYPIRG, Elizabeth Moran, Environmental Policy Director

Onondaga Audubon, Maryanne Adams, Conservation Chair

Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc. (OBI Land Trust), Jim LaPlante, Board Chairperson

Open Space Institute, Christopher “Kim” J. Elliman, President & CEO

Orange County Audubon Society, Melissa Peterson, Administrator

Orange County Land Trust, James Delaune, Executive Director

Otsego Land Trust, Patricia Szarpa, Executive Director

Our Outer Harbor Coalition, Buffalo, Margaret Wooster

Parks & Trails New York, Robin Dropkin, Executive Director

Peconic Baykeeper, Peter Topping, Baykeeper

Peconic Estuary Protection Committee

Peconic Land Trust, John v.H. Halsey, President

Pollinator Conservation Association, Inc, Jay Burney, Special Projects Director

Preservation League of New York State, Jay DiLorenzo, President

Protect the Adirondac­­­ks!, Peter Bauer, Executive Director

Putnam County Land Trust, Judith Terlizzi, Board President

Rebuild by Design, Amy Chester, Managing Director

Renewable Energy Long Island (reLI), Gordian Raacke, Executive Director

Rensselaeer Plateau Alliance, Jim Bonesteel, Executive Director

RETI Center, Gita Nandan, Chair of the Board

RETI Center, Tim Gilman-Sevcik, Executive Director

RETI Center, Isil Akgul, Director of Operations

Riverkeeper, Jeremy Cherson, Legislative Advocacy Manager

Riverside Park Conservancy

Rochester Museum and Science Center, Hillary Olson, President & CEO

Sag Harbor Village Harbor Committee

Saratoga PLAN, Maria Ttabka, Executive Director

Save The Great South Bay, Robyn Silvestri, Executive Director

Save the Sound, Tracy Brown, Regional Director, Water Protection

Saw Mill River Audubon, Anne Swaim, Executive Director

Scenic Hudson, Ned Sullivan, President

Seatuck Environmental Association, Enrico Nardone, Executive Director

Serpentine Art and Nature Center, Inc., George Y. Bramwell, Esq., Past President

Setauket Harbor Task Force, George Hoffman, Trustee

Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Roger Downs, Conservation Director

Somers Land Trust, Michael Barnhart, President

South Shore Audubon Society, Brien Weiner, President

Southampton Town Civic Coalition, Andrea Spilka, President

Southern Madison Heritage Trust, Harvey L Kliman, Ph.D., President

St. Lawrence Land Trust, Jessica Rogers, President of the Board

Surfrider Foundation, Matt Gove, Mid-Atlantic Policy Manager

Sustainable Westchester, Steven Rosenthal, Interim Executive Director

SWANA New York Chapter, Luann Meyer, President

Syracuse Cultural Workers, Andy Mager, Sales Manager and Social Movements Liaison

Teatown Lake Reservation, Kevin Carter, Executive Director

The Conservation Fund, Thomas R. Duffus, Vice President, Northeast

The Nature Conservancy, Jessica Ottney Mahar, NY Policy & Strategy Director

The North Shore Land Alliance, Inc., Lisa W. ott, President

The Town of New Castle, Supervisor Ivy A. Pool, Deputy Supervisor Jeremy Saland, Council Member Lisa Katz, Council Member Lauren Levin, Council Member Jason Lichtenthal, New Castle Town Board

The Trust for Public Land, Carter Strickland, New York State Director

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Christy Plumer, Chief Conservation Officer

Town of Ossining, Dana Levenberg, Town Supervisor

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, Linda M. Garrett, Executive Director

Urban Green Council, Danielle Manley, Associate Manager, Policy

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Stephanie Ehrlich, Executive Director

Vision Long Island, Eric Alexander, Director

Wallkill Valley Land Trust, Christie DeBoer, Executive Director

Waterfront Alliance, Cortney Worrall, President and CEO

WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director & Director of Policy Initiatives

Westchester Land Trust, Lori Ensinger, President

Western New York Environmental Alliance, Lynda Schneekloth, Chair

Western New York Land Conservancy, Nancy Smith, Executive Director

Wildlife Conservation Society, John F. Calvelli, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs

Winnakee Land Trust, Robert S. Davis, Executive Director

Woodstock Land Conservancy, Maxanne Resnick, Executive Director

(WASHINGTON, DC — Oct. 15, 2020) There is a profound need and opportunity for catalytic capital to support and scale new climate-smart financial models for U.S. agriculture. That’s the finding of a new report by Environmental Defense Fund and Climate and Forest Capital, Catalytic Capital and Agriculture: Opportunities to Invest in Healthy Soils, Resilient Farms and a Stable Climate [PDF].

Supported by a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG), the report identifies barriers to investing in sustainable agriculture and presents opportunities for catalytic capital to address these barriers, as illustrated by five case studies.

“Investing in climate-smart agriculture is a hot topic, yet farmers continue to face poor economic conditions stemming from trade disputes, COVID-19 supply chain disruptions and extreme weather,” said Vincent Gauthier, EDF research analyst and co-author of the report. “It’s clear that more innovation is needed to make our food system more resilient, fast. Catalytic capital can help.”

Catalytic capital is traditionally defined as the use of blended finance tools to improve projects’ risk-return profiles to match the requirements of market rate investors. The report emphasizes that catalytic capital should also involve funding to support research, policy and technical support alongside direct investments to maximize impact.

The case studies featured in the report include descriptions and analyses of five unique investment models, including:

• The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund by Quantified Ventures and Iowa Soybean Association.
• The Perennial Fund by Mad Agriculture.
• Regional Restore Programs by Zero Foodprint.
• Agrarian Commons by Agrarian Trust.
• FarmStart by Farm Credit Council.

“These case studies illustrate how catalytic capital has the unique ability to develop and scale new financial models for sustainable agriculture, providing several insights for funders and investors,” said Daniel Pike, an independent consultant for CFC and co-author of the report.

The case studies in the report feature three key areas of investment that show promise for effective catalytic capital deployment: transition finance, environmental markets and regional value chain development.

“There is great untapped potential for innovative funding mechanisms using creative investment structures to support the expansion of sustainable farming practices,” said Mark Lambert, a director at Quantified Ventures and co-designer of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund featured in the report, alongside Iowa Soybean Association. “These are the types of solutions that responsible, forward-looking impact investors should be excited about.”

“These investments will help farmers and ranchers get more conservation on the ground, which is the priority of this NRCS Conservation Finance CIG project,” said NRCS Acting Chief Kevin Norton. “Voluntary conservation practice implementation can benefit when investor priorities and agricultural producer priorities align.”

“Emerging innovations can help provide a business case for NRCS conservation practices, the economics of regenerative agriculture and sustainable supply chain initiatives that will help deliver innovative agricultural solutions to our nation’s largest environmental challenges while delivering a more resilient food system,” Norton said. “The findings of this report can inform a more strategic and effective use of catalytic capital to build agricultural resilience in the U.S. and beyond.”

For more information on this report, visit www.edf.org/catalytic-capital.
 

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 14, 2020) Today, Representative Sean Casten (D-IL) introduced the Tradable Performance Standard Act, a bill that will significantly cut carbon pollution in the electric and industrial sectors.

This climate bill creates a tradable performance standard that requires power generators and industrial facilities to meet carbon intensity targets that lower pollution. The legislation is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from those sectors by 60% from 2019 levels by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

“Curbing climate pollution from the electric and industrial sectors is critical for tackling climate change, as these two sectors emit nearly half of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Rep. Casten’s creative proposal will not only cut climate pollution from these sectors, it will help spur investment in clean energy and reduce harmful air pollution. Importantly, this bill should be complemented by strong legislation that ensures protections for disproportionately impacted communities and curbs pollution in other major emitting sectors like transportation.

“We are encouraged by Rep. Casten’s commitment to advancing clean energy, and we hope this bill will embolden other Members of Congress to craft ambitious climate solutions. The case for comprehensive climate legislation grows stronger, as the costs of inaction across our country become clearer every day.”

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

(Washington, D.C. – October 14, 2020) A broad coalition of 23 states and cities, regional clean air authorities, and environmental advocates – including EDF – laid out a detailed case for D.C. Circuit showing why the Trump administration should not be allowed to interfere with states’ long-standing authority to reduce dangerous pollution from cars.

“Cleaner cars and trucks will protect the health and safety of Americans, and help us address the dire threat of climate change. States have been leading the way toward cleaner vehicles for our future, and the law is clear that they can – and should – keep leading,” said EDF lead attorney Peter Zalzal.

The coalition filed its reply brief yesterday in one of several lawsuits stemming from the Trump administration’s attempt to rollback American’s popular and successful Clean Car Standards.

This lawsuit focuses on the administration’s attempt to eliminate states’ authority to set protective clean car standards – authority that is part of the Clean Air Act and has been in use for more than half a century. California and 13 other states have committed to strong clean car standards; more than a third of U.S. new car sales are covered by those standards.

EDF sued to defend states’ clean car authority, along with the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin; the Commonwealths of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the cities of Los Angeles and New York; the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Sacramento Air Quality Management District; and the Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Environment America, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen and Sierra Club.

A coalition of power companies, the Advanced Energy Economy and the National Coalition for Advanced Transportation also sued and filed their reply brief yesterday.

EDF is also a party to the lawsuit opposing the Trump administration’s rollback of the national Clean Car Standards, an action that will cause more than 18,000 premature deaths, add one and a half billion metric tons of climate pollution to our air, and cost Americans $244 billion more at the gas pump.

Environmental Defense Fund Europe welcomes the European Commission’s Methane Strategy released today as one of two new initiatives Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans outlined to support a green recovery.

At least 25% of the planetary warming we experience right now is caused by methane emissions from human activities, including agriculture, production and use of fossil fuels, and landfill waste. Oil and gas methane present a particularly important opportunity, as it offers the most immediate and lowest cost option to reduce a potent greenhouse gas.

According to the International Energy Agency, the oil and gas industry can deliver a 75% reduction in methane emissions with technology available to it today, with more than half of this achievable at no net cost to the industry.

“This new strategy puts Europe in the vanguard of international policy to reduce methane pollution. As the terrible effects of climate change bear down on all of us, Europe is recognizing that reducing oil and gas methane emissions is the most immediate and cost-effective step to slow the rate of warming now, and is a necessary complement to efforts to drive carbon dioxide pollution out of the economy.

“As the largest importer of internationally traded gas, the EU has a special responsibility to take on methane emissions. We are pleased to hear the Commission will evaluate the feasibility of an import standard on methane in parallel with continuing international dialogues and cooperation. We believe that a swift introduction of gas standards is essential to energy system integration and achieving the goals of the Green Deal, and we stand ready to assist the Commission in its investigations of how this could be done.

“Past progress has been hindered by difficulties in tracking emissions. But monitoring and detection technologies to reduce methane are improving every day. Europe’s TROPOMI and Prisma satellites provide access to measured emissions data, while new satellites like MethaneSAT will generate even more precise information on methane emissions from oil and gas operations in remote corners of the world.

“Environmental Defense Fund Europe advocates for market-based solutions that help people and nature prosper. As a leader in advancing methane science and innovative policies to reach a net-zero energy future, we look forward to working with EU leaders to develop enabling legislation built off the Methane Strategy.”

Global investors face significant environmental, social and governance risk stemming from a vast network of commercial oil and gas projects owned by the companies they hold shares in but which are controlled by third-parties, according to a new paper released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Rockefeller Asset Management.  

The analysis, “Emission Omission: A Shareholder Engagement Guide to Uncovering Climate Risks from Non-Operated Assets in the Oil and Gas Industry” evaluates production exposure, methane disclosure and target coverage of nine Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) companies. Building on EDF’s 2018 report, the Next Frontier, the paper offers technical guidance for investors to constructively engage companies to reduce ESG/climate risk.

“Climate risks from non-operated assets may have risk-and-return implications for oil and gas investors as companies continue to finance natural gas infrastructure,” said Meredith Block, Senior ESG Analyst and Senior Vice President, Rockefeller Asset Management. “Now is the time for investors to call companies to action and encourage them to establish methane targets that cover 100% of their production volumes, across all of their assets.”

OGCI companies reviewed in the analysis include bp, Chevron, Equinor, Eni, ExxonMobil, Oxy, Repsol, Shell and Total. Their non-operated assets range from 19% to 66% of company production, with five of the nine companies deriving more than half their output from facilities run by third-parties.

“Non-operated assets are largely unaccounted for in companies’ ESG disclosures, elevating risk for oil and gas shareholders,” said Dominic Watson, Project Manager for EDF +Business, and one of the lead authors. “As customers, regulators and companies embrace a low-carbon economy, investors need to understand key exposure points to long-term value.”

The paper notes the oil and gas sector has significant work to do but some companies have taken important steps to address emissions from their own operations and non-operated sources. For example, bp aims to reach a methane intensity target of 0.20% in its operations by 2025, using a measurement approach, and will support its partners to reduce methane emissions.

“One of bp’s aims toward reaching net zero by 2050 or sooner and helping the world get there includes reducing methane emissions in our own operations. We are also working to influence our non-operated partners to set their own methane intensity target of 0.2%,” said Sayma Robbie, Senior Vice President Non-Operated Joint Ventures for bp and author of the report’s foreword. “Reducing emissions from non-operated assets is an important issue for our industry and we welcome engagement from investors and other stakeholders to identify solutions and help companies lower emissions across the natural gas value chain.”

Many of the largest non-operated assets are managed by government-controlled national oil companies (NOCs). The most significant non-operated assets identified in the paper involve NOCs, which currently operate nearly 51% of global gas and 58% of global oil production. The management and disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions from NOC entities are largely unknown.

“The role of government-controlled oil companies in contributing to avoidable methane emissions has been overlooked for too long. Companies report revenue generated from assets owned in partnership with national oil companies but rarely account for their associated emissions,” explains Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC). “The guidance published today will help investors in engaging with companies across the sector to make this mismatch clear and ensure the issue is higher up the agenda.”