Monthly Policy Update | April 2021  
 

Need to Know

FEDERAL
 - Last week, President Biden presented his 2021 budget proposal which includes an increase in the amount that would go towards climate.  More...

 - At the end of March, President Biden's administration announced who he had appointed to the Environmental Justice Advisory Council.  More...

 - Also in March, a new bi-partisan Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus was launched.  More... 

 - Part of the stimulus package that President Biden and Congress passed last month included $100 million to go towards combatting environmental issues affecting marginalized communities.  More...

 - Information on President Biden's infrastructure bill that has potential effects on fighting climate change.  More...

MULTIPLE STATES
 - According to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, there has been an increase in oil produced in states in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains areas.  More...

 - Last December, several states in the Northeast signed onto the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), however, its path forward is contingent on some of the states who signed onto it.  More...

INDIVIDUAL STATES
CALIFORNIA
 - In late March, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a plan - the Triennial Strategic Research Plan - which includes ramping up their work with universities and colleges.  More...

MARYLAND
 - In early March, the Maryland State Senate passed a climate bill that would implement efforts such as planting 5 million trees, building more energy efficient schools, and more. More...

MASSACHUSETTS
 - A few weeks ago, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House Speaker Mariano called for Massachusetts to make the Commonwealth a hub for offshore wind energy, stating that it would also produce many local jobs.  More...

 - Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker recently signed a robust climate change bill into law.  One of the requirements in the bill is that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will need to be net-zero by 2050.  More...

NEVADA
 - According to an analysis report done by Energy Innovation, a research firm, the State of Nevada is not on track to meet their goal of being net-zero or close to being net-zero by 2050.  More...

NEW JERSEY
 - New Jersey is putting $13.2 million into offshore wind development in the Delaware Bay area.  More...

VIRGINIA
 - In late March, Virginia Governor McAuliffe announced the climate plan for Virginia which includes having the state use 100% clean energy by 2035.  More...

Updates, Opportunities & Resources

NDC Higher Education Letter to President Biden
On Thursday, March 8, 2021, 75 higher education institutions from across the United States sent a letter to President Biden's administration in support of a strong 2030 U.S. climate target.  The specific request was that the Biden-Harris administration adopt a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 which would put the U.S. on a path towards being net-zero by 2050.

Although the letter was already sent to the Biden administration, if your institution is still interested in signing on in support, there's still time to do so.  Please click on the appropriate button below.     

Working Paper: An All-In climate strategy can cut U.S. emissions by 50% by 2030
America Is All In (AIAI) - formerly known as We Are Still In (WASI) recently released a working paper on proposed strategy for how the United States can accomplish a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and how "2021 can be a year of global action to address climate change."  

Sources:
Associated Press.  (2021, March 26).  Massachusetts Gov. Baker signs sweeping climate change bill.  AP News.  URL. 

Graham, C.  (2021, March 25).  McAuliffe releases plan to address climate change, secure Virginia’s clean energy future by 2035.  Augusta Free Press.  URL. 

Green Car Congress.  (2021, March 26).  California ARB adopts 3-year research plan; net negative CO2; racial equity.  Green Car Congress.  URL. 

Hampton, L.  (2021, April 9).  Great Plains, Rockies oil and gas drilling ticks higher: Fed report.  Reuters.  URL. 

Johnson, T.  (2021, March 26).  Two big steps made in push for NJ offshore-wind industry.  NJ Spotlight News.  URL. 

Karni, A. and Tankersley, J.  (2021, March 22).  Infrastructure Plan Seeks to Address Climate and Equality as Well as Roads.  The New York Times.  URL. 

Lavelle, M.  (2021, March 14).  Environmental Justice Plays a Key Role in Biden’s Covid-19 Stimulus Package.  Inside Climate News.  URL. 

Reuters Staff.  (2021, April 9).  Seven takeaways from Biden's budget proposal: defense, immigration, climate.  Reuters.  URL. 

Schoenberg, S.  (2021, March 25).  Mariano pledges to turn South Coast into ‘hub of wind energy’.  Commonwealth.  URL. 

Shew, E.  (2021, March 12).  Ambitious Climate Bill Voted Out of Maryland Senate.  Maryland Matters.  URL. 

Solis, J.  (2021, March 12).  Clean energy strategy won’t meet clean energy goals, panel told.  Nevada Current.  URL. 

The White House.  (2021, March 29).  White House Announces Environmental Justice Advisory Council Members.  The White House.  URL. 

Wade, C.  (2021, March 25).  Climate pact hinges on other states.  The Eagle-Tribune.  URL. 

WAVY Web Staff.  (2021, March 22).  Congresswoman Luria launches Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus.  Wavy.com.  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.