Monthly Policy Update | June 2021  
 

Need to Know

GLOBAL
 - By the end of 2021, funding from the G7 countries for global coal projects will cease.  More...

FEDERAL 
 - The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council recently released their interim final report with recommendations on Justice40, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, and Executive Order 12898 Revisions.  Read...

 - Job creation in the U.S. from the Offshore Wind industry may not occur for the first few years due to the equipment being made in Europe as opposed to within the U.S. initially.  More...

 - The Willow Project - a proposed new oil project in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska - was given the sign-off to continue from the Biden administration.  More...

 - In late May, President Biden introduced a new NASA initiative on climate, and that the federal government would be doubling its funding going toward helping communities prepare for major weather events.  More...

 - A few weeks ago President Biden issued an executive order calling on climate leaders within his administration to produce a report in 120 days focusing on what financial risks there are to government and programs due to climate change.  More...

 - Democrats in the U.S. Senate issued a resolution in support of having a carbon neutral electric sector by 2035.  More...

MULTIPLE STATES
 - Republican state treasurers from fifteen different states have warned large banks that if they get rid of coal as part of their investment and lending portfolios, they will revoke assets.  More...

 - An article/case study published in Nature Communications analyzes how urban heat in various cities unequally affects different areas.  More...  

INDIVIDUAL STATES
MARYLAND
 - For years, PEPCO and another company in Maryland have been discharging their stormwater runoff into a small town that has led to increased flooding in the town.  More...

MINNESOTA
 - In late May, the Office of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that the Governor had signed the Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act into law.  More...
Ceres issued a statement about the ECO Act becoming law.  Read here. 

OHIO
 - A public policy research group in Ohio found that if the state implements any one of three potential climate policies, it would drastically help Ohio, but beyond Ohio as well.  More... 

Sources:
Adragna, A. and Lefebvre B.  (2021, May 26).  Biden administration backs Alaska oil project approved under Trump.  Politico.  URL. 

Axios.  (2021, May 21).  G7 agrees to stop international funding for coal.  Axios.  URL. 

Binnie, I., Groom, N., and Twidale, S.  (2021, May 27).  Headwinds: Offshore wind will take time to carry factory jobs to U.S.  Reuters.  URL. 

Cox, J.  (2021, May 26).  Historic Black town in Maryland seeks justice for stormwater discharge.  Bay Journal.  URL. 

Eilperin, J., Dennis, B., and Viser, M.  (2021, May 24).  As hurricane season looms, Biden doubles funding to prepare for extreme weather.  The Washington Post.  URL.    

Frazin, R.  (2021, May 18).  Senate Democrats unveil resolution calling for carbon-free electric sector by 2035.  The Hill.  URL.   

Hsu, A., Sheriff, G., Chakraborty, T., and Manya, D.  (2021, May 25).  Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island intensity across major US cities.  Nature Communications.  URL. 

Kowalski, K.  (2021, June 2).  Analysis suggests climate policy in Ohio could save the world as much as $1 trillion.  Energy News Network.  URL. 

Markay, L.  (2021, May 26).  Scoop: States warn banks — Drop coal, and we drop you.  Axios.  URL.  

Omastiak, R.  (2021, May 26).  Bipartisan energy act signed into Minnesota law.  5ABC-KSTP.  URL. 

Sadasivam, N.  (2021, May 21).  Biden’s latest executive order takes aim at climate change’s risk to the economy.  Grist.  URL. 

White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.  (2021, May 13).  Interim Final Report: Justice40 Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool & Executive Order 12898 Revisions.  URL.  

Our monthly policy updates, information, and opportunities to participate, are developed with support from Ceres, which is an organizational partner of Second Nature.  Ceres has identified the following states plus Washington, D.C. for our primary focus - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. - because of the beneficial legislative climates and real opportunities for policy advancements in these states.  

Note: The states included in each monthly Policy Update will be based on what policy updates we are recommending for that month, and are due to change - but will always be focused on the above states (plus Washington, D.C.) - from month to month.