U.S. States Take Leadership Role in Advancing Climate Action at COP24

News Release from Climate Registry and the Climate Action Reserve, Dec 12, 2018

The Climate Registry and the Climate Action Reserve hosted a bipartisan delegation of U.S. states at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Katowice, Poland. States attending include Hawai‘i, California, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington.

Over the course of several events that showcased state climate action and impact, three themes emerged:

• U.S. states are filling the climate leadership gap left by the federal government;
• U.S. states are collaborating with each other and with other countries, cities and the business community to meet the carbon reduction targets laid out in the
  latest IPCC report; and,
• U.S. states are experiencing economic transformation and growth as a result of their climate action and from clean energy and energy efficiency investments.

…“We are a small state with big ambition, and we believe that big ambition leads to big action,” said Anukriti Hittle, Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation coordinator. “Climate change is front and center on our governor’s radar, and our Climate Change Commission—representing both executive and legislative branches of government—believes putting a price on carbon is the most effective single action that will achieve Hawai‘i’s ambitious goals. We will continue to promote ambitious, clean, equitable and resilient strategies.” …

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“In the absence of federal action, US states have stepped up and accelerated meaningful climate action,” said Craig Ebert, President of the Climate Action Reserve. “States have enacted sensible, equitable, and economically beneficial climate policies, including raising ambitious climate targets, putting a price on carbon, investing in climate-smart infrastructure, and promoting thoughtful transportation and urban planning. States have been at the vanguard of what is possible, and of what must be done to create thriving communities and a prosperous future.”

“We have no time to waste in addressing climate change, so it’s tremendously gratifying to see that U.S. states are not backing away from the Paris Agreement commitments,” said Amy Holm, director of Programs and Operations at The Climate Registry. “Through a variety of policy approaches such as transportation, buildings and green energy, states are showing the world that you can reduce carbon while simultaneously growing the economy.”…

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