Monthly Policy Update

September 2023

Policy Updates

GLOBAL
Climate Report Card Says Countries Are Trying, but Urgently Need Improvement
Publication Date: September 8, 2023 | Source: New York Times

• Why This Matters: Eight years after world leaders agreed to the Paris Agreement, the first official report card on the global climate treaty reveals that overwhelmingly, countries have made limited progress averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis and are falling short of their pledges. Current climate pledges put the world on track for 2.5 degrees or so of warming by 2100, and that's only if nations followed through on their plans, which historically they haven't. Countries have been asked to review this report ahead of the upcoming climate negotiations in Abu Dhabi. 

Children Have a Right to Sue Nations Over Climate, U.N Panel Says
Publication Date: August 28, 2023 | Source: New York Times

• Why This Matters: Last month, the independent panel of experts that interprets United Nations human rights law, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, found that all countries have a legal obligation to protect children from environmental degradation. International treaties and laws haven't been frequently used in climate litigation, but this decision could begin to change that. 

FEDERAL
FEMA allocates $3B for climate change as Congress stalls on disaster fund
Publication Date: August 28, 2023 | Source: Axios

• Why This Matters: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing nearly $3 billion in funding for hundreds of communities across the U.S. to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather events like wildfires, heat waves, and tropical storms. This money will come from the bipartisan infrastructure signed into law in 2021, and will be distributed via two grant programs managed by FEMA. In the wake of recent events, like the Maui wildfires and Tropical Storm Hilary, this resilience funding is particularly critical. 

Automakers Try to Dodge Their EV Commitments
Publication Date: August 28, 2023 | Source: Natural Resource Defense Fund

• Why This Matters: The EPA has proposed tailpipe emission standards for passenger cars and trucks that will reduce pollution from new vehicles by about 56 percent in 2032 compared to 2026 levels. Despite publicly supporting electric vehicles, many automakers, like Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, have been more privately lobbying against these laws. Electric vehicles are a critical part of decarbonizing the transportation sector, and will be an important consideration for higher education institutions' decarbonization plans moving forward. 

Treasury pushes for huge tax credits for clean energy companies
Publication Date: August 29, 2023 | Source: Washington Examiner 

• Why This Matters: The Treasury Department issued a proposed rule Tuesday that would significantly boost the number of available tax credits for clean energy companies that pay their workers fair wages. The rule would ensure that companies that adhere to the prevailing wage incentives practices outlined under the IRA will be eligible for up to five times the value of certain clean energy tax credits. 

As Climate-Fueled Weather Disasters Hit More U.S. Farms, the Costs of Insuring Agriculture Have Skyrocketed
Publication Date: September 7, 2023 | Source: Inside Climate News 

• Why This Matters: Farmers across the country have taken in a record $19 billion in insurance payments in 2022, as part of the Federal Crop Insurance Program that aims to protect farmers from drops in prices and weather-related disasters. An Environmental Working Group analysis found that the vast majority of this money has gone toward larger farms, and could even potentially incentivize carbon-intensive farming. 

STATES

CALIFORNIA
Newsom says he'll sign major corporate climate disclosure bill
Publication Date: September 17, 2023 | Source: Politico 

• Why This Matters: Last week, Governor Newsom announced he would sign into law landmark legislation that would require California companies earning at least $1 billion annually to disclose their scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The legislations will show the largest corporate polluters and where the bulk of those emissions come from, and will ultimately cover more than 5,000 companies that operate in the state. The legislation serves as a reminder for higher education institutions that climate disclosure is becoming increasingly prominent. 

ILLINOIS
Illinois Environmental Groups Applaud Vetoes by Pritzker
Publication Date: August 23, 2023 | Source: Inside Climate News 

• Why This Matters: Last month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker vetoed several bills that were heavily opposed by the environmental community. These include a bill that would have expanded nuclear power (SB 76), given a utility first dibs on new transmission line projects, and advanced a controversial highway expansion project. Illinois failed to pass major environmental legislation this year, but Governor Pritzker's vetoes ensure the state won't be going in the wrong direction.  

NEW HAMPSHIRE 
In unexpected move, New Hampshire utilities voice support for solar net metering
Publication Date: September 6, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: Eversource, Unitil, and Liberty Utilities expressed their support for the state's net metering policies, which credits customers roughly 75% of the standard electricity rate for any unused solar generation that flows back onto the grid and is used by other customers. Net metering provides an important source of revenue for solar customers, and historically, utilities have opposed this policy in NH. Now, however, three of the state's largest utilities have voiced their support for this policy, a potential indicator that the tides are turning in favor of net metering.   

OHIO
At Case Western, Student Activists Want the Administration to Move More Decisively on Climate Change
Publication Date: August 29, 2023 | Source: Inside Climate News 

• Why This Matters: Over 100 colleges and universities have announced their commitment to divest from fossil fuels, but hundreds of others have yet to commit. Students at Case Western Reserve in Ohio have been calling on the school to commit to divestment, but the school has instead touted its Climate Action Plan, which calls for carbon neutrality by 2050. The pressure student advocates have been putting on the administration is indicative of a broader national divestment movement. 

VIRGINIA
Virginia may ditch a regional carbon cap-and-invest program
Publication Date: August 29, 2023 | Source: Canary Media 

• Why This Matters: Virginia is considering leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-invest program that limits electric-sector emissions and generates revenue for climate resilience and energy efficiency. Governor Glenn Youngkin has previously shared his intentions to withdraw from the program, despite the fact it has provided $657 million in revenue and reduced the state's carbon emissions by nearly 17%. The state joined the program two years ago, becoming the 12th in the Northeast to be a part of RGGI, but now, Youngkin is exploring pathways to withdraw. 

Advocacy Opportunities

Colleges and Universities: Voice Your Support for Building Decarbonization
In the US, residential and commercial buildings made up 40% of energy consumption in 2022, with about 30% of total end-use electricity emissions coming from the commercial and residential sector. Decarbonizing the building sector will also improve public health; negative health impacts associated with air quality have cost states in the Northeast more than $50 billion, for example. 

Ceres, a Second Nature partner, has organized a support letter urging state governors and energy offices to work together and accelerate the implementation of feasible building decarbonization actions that follow best practices. For more information, here is a background memo on the issue. 

Interested in signing onto the sign-on letter? Please reach out to Ceres's Raagan Wilhelm.

The states and updates included in each Monthly Policy Update are based on what we are recommending for reading for that month, due to what we view as being directly relevant to higher education.  From month to month, the states focused on are due to change.  

Do you have feedback on our Monthly Policy Updates (what you like, what you would like to see improved, etc)?  Please email us: policyteam@secondnature.org.  

Note: 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 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.  Our Policy Updates may, or may not, include these states (and Washington, D.C.).