Monthly Policy Update | September 2021  

Need to Know

GLOBAL
 - The US and Singapore are partnering to address the climate crisis, expanding collaboration on sustainable Smart Cities, developing high-quality climate standards, supporting climate technology research and development, and promoting green building standards.  More. . .

 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s annual State of the Climate Report has been released, an authoritative annual summary of the global climate.  Despite the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, all major greenhouse gases reached new record-high concentrations.  More. . .

 - For the first time, Indigenous organizations from around the world will formally join international negotiations regarding global conservation efforts.  More . . .

 - The US government announced the Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program II (V-LEEP II), a five-year, $36 million project to accelerate Vietnam's transition to clean energy.  
More . . .

FEDERAL 
 - The installation of renewable power and battery storage capacity is on a record pace this year, according to recently-published industry data.  More . . .

 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is urging federal regulators to include a social cost of carbon calculation in their draft environmental reviews for two natural gas projects.  More . . .

 - Several tribal governments in the Great Basin have banded together to ask a federal judge to issue an injunction against the proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine.  More . . .

 - The Biden Administration plans to make federal land cheaper to access for solar and wind power developers after the clean energy industry argued lease rates and fees were too high to draw investment.  More . . .

 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is creating a Office of Climate Change and Health Equity.  More. . .

 - The Biden Administration is reopening millions of acres for oil and gas exploration —  including 80 million acres of water in the Gulf of Mexico — despite a campaign vow to end new federal oil and gas leasing.  More. . .

 - President Biden has added another prominent scientist to his climate team - Philip Duffy, who has worked on climate issues for decades.  More. . .

 - A new report outlines the drastic disproportionate effects on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) that can occur if the planet warms by two degrees Celsius.  More. . .

MULTIPLE STATES
 - Governors from ten different states sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to pass climate change measures currently being considered as part of the budget reconciliation bill.  More. . .

INDIVIDUAL STATES
MASSACHUSETTS
 - Massachusetts is investing $1.6 million in supporting the development of equitable, accessible offshore wind workforce training programs.  More. . .

MINNESOTA
 - The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a petition by Line 3 opponents to review a lower court’s decision to approve Enbridge’s controversial new oil pipeline.  More. . .

VIRGINIA
 - Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality has funded the replacement of 83 dirty diesel buses. Now, the advocates are looking for additional funding sources.  More. . .

 - A Virginia partnership helped eight low-income homeowners switch to electric heating and appliances, cutting emissions and saving them money.  More. . .

Sources:
Brugger, K.  (2021, September 1).  Q&A: Biden’s newest climate adviser reflects on task ahead.  E&E News Greenwire.  URL. 

Cama, T.  (2021, September 2).  Democratic governors push for climate programs in reconciliation.  E&E News Greenwire.  URL.  

Dezan Shira & Associates.  (2021, August 30).  US Vice President Visit Underlines Growing US-Vietnam Ties.  Vietnam Briefing.  URL. 

Fears, D. and Grandoni, D.  (2021, September 2).  EPA just detailed all the ways climate change will hit U.S. racial minorities the hardest. It’s a long list.  The Washington Post.  URL. 

Fitzpatrick, R.  (2021, July 21).  Baker-Polito Administration Awards $1.6 Million to Expand Access to Offshore Wind Workforce Training Opportunities.  Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.  URL. 

Geman, B.  (2021, August 24).  U.S. clean power sees record growth.  Axios.  URL. 

Groom, N.  (2021, August 31).  Biden administration to resume drilling auctions in setback to climate agenda.  Reuters.  URL. 

Groom, N. and Volcovici, V.  (2021, August 31).  Biden administration aims to cut costs for solar, wind projects on public land.  Reuters.  URL.  

HHS.  (2021, August 30).  HHS Establishes Office of Climate Change and Health Equity.  HHS.gov.  URL. 

Hughlett, M.  (2021, August 24).  Minnesota Supreme Court denies appeal aimed at stopping Line 3 construction.  Star Tribune.  URL. 

McGowan, E.  (2021, August 25).  Cleaner school buses are on the way in Virginia, but funding questions loom.  Energy News Network.  URL. 

McGowan, E.  (2021, August 30).  Virginia project shows benefits, costs of ditching fossil fuels in low-income homes.  Energy News Network.  URL. 

Rothberg, D.  (2021, August 21).  Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe ask federal judge to halt activity near Thacker Pass mine.  The Nevada Independent.  URL. 

Rubiano, M.P.  (2021, August 27).  After decades of waiting, Indigenous peoples are finally getting a say in global conservation policy.  Grist.  URL. 

State of the Climate.  American Meteorological Association.  URL. 

The White House.  (2021, August 23).  FACT SHEET: Strengthening the U.S.-Singapore Strategic Partnership.  The White House Briefing Room.  URL. 

Walton, R.  (2021, August 27).  EPA urges FERC to use social cost of carbon in gas project reviews.  Utility Dive.  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.