With threats from President-elect Donald Trump and leaders in Congress to undo the Clean Power Plan, walk away from the Paris Climate Agreement, and more, the nation needs strong leaders from the states to show how to address the impacts of climate change.
For Immediate Release: November 21, 2016
RGGI States Appear on the Verge of Bowing to Climate Science Denier
Governor Cuomo Urged to Lead the RGGI States Towards a Cleaner, Healthier Future
Albany – With threats from President-elect Donald Trump and leaders in Congress to undo the Clean Power Plan, walk away from the Paris Climate Agreement, and more, the nation needs strong leaders from the states to show how to address the impacts of climate change.
For the past year, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiatives (RGGI) states have been discussing ways to strengthen the program. Until recently, the states had been coalescing around a goal to lower the power sector carbon pollution by 5-percent annually – a level that would be in line with Governor Cuomo’s vision for a 40-percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. However, it appears those negotiations have taken a turn with weaker actions now being considered.
The following statement is attributable to Conor Bambrick, air & energy director at Environmental Advocates NY:
“Governor Cuomo has pledged that New York will be a refuge for those harmed by any negative actions taken by the Trump administration. When it comes to climate, that means rallying our RGGI partners to stand up to Donald Trump’s anti-climate agenda by taking our climate programs to the next level. By any measure, RGGI has been a success. It has proven that climate action, public health, and economic development go hand-in-hand, and every time states enacted stronger standards, it’s been an economic boon. The nation needs New York to be the climate leader right now, to stand up against efforts to weaken or roll back standards. This is Governor Cuomo’s first climate test in the Trump era, and he should stand firm and ensure that New York proceeds with aggressively ratcheting down the emissions cap, and keep his promise to expand RGGI to other states and beyond power plants.”
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Information about today’s stakeholder meeting can be found at https://www.rggi.org/docs/ProgramReview/2016/11-21-16/Meeting_Notification_11_21_16.pdf