Monthly Policy Update |

June 2022  

Policy Updates

FEDERAL
Red States Still Pose a Major Threat to Biden's Justice40 Initiative, Activists Warn
Publication Date: June 5, 2022 | Source: Inside Climate News

• Why This Matters: In Republican-led states, like Texas, federal efforts to advance environmental justice through infrastructure are not being reciprocated. Given that states play a critical role in the distribution of federal funds, Biden's environmental justice agenda largely rests in state hands. Any opportunity higher education has to advance state-level climate legislation will go a long way to ensuring the federal climate agenda is enacted. 

The emptiness of Republicans' new climate strategy
Publication Date: June 3, 2022 | Source: Grist

• Why This Matters: Last week, 17 Republican members of Congress introduced a climate plan as the result of an energy, climate, and conservation task force assembled by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The plan calls for increasing domestic production of fossil fuels and does not contain limits on greenhouse gas emissions. It is an indicator that the GOP remains unlikely to introduce bold climate legislation, and that significant bipartisan climate action remains unlikely. 

Can Biden end the Auxin solar tariff investigation?
Publication Date: May 26, 2022 | Source: Canary Media 

• Why This Matters:  The Commerce Department’s solar tariff investigation is already leading to a huge drop off in solar installations. The department is looking into whether factories in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are essentially serving as pass-throughs for Chinese solar products, which would mean the manufacturers are circumventing the decade-old anti-dumping tariffs imposed by the U.S on China. The outcome of this investigation could have a large impact on solar installation capacity worldwide.  

The Supreme Court just okayed Biden's "social cost of carbon." It's still way too low. 
Publication Date: May 27, 2022 | Source: Vox

• Why This Matters:  Last year, Biden signed an executive order tasking a working group to determine the social cost of carbon, a measure, in dollars, of the economic damage resulting from the emission of one ton of carbon dioxide. In May, the Supreme Court approved this cost, representing a big setback for conservative states. Colleges/universities can utilize this social cost to make long-term planning decisions, though the cost is very low.  

MULTIPLE STATES
State Policy Snapshot: This Year's Biggest Climate Change Solutions
Publication Date: April 29, 2022 | Source: Climate XChange

• Why This Matters: Nearly 1,300 climate and environment bills have been introduced across the country in 2022 so far, according to the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) Bill Tracker. Among these are state climate plans, new equity targets, environmental justice mapping bills, and new building and appliance performance standards. 

INDIVIDUAL STATES
NEW JERSEY
NJ Aims to Implement Environmental Justice Law by Dec. 31
Publication Date: June 2, 2022 | Source: U.S. News

• Why This Matters:  In 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed a landmark environmental justice law, but the legislation has not yet been fully implemented. The bill will prevent often low-income, minority neighborhoods from having to bear the brunt of too many sources of pollution. 

NORTH CAROLINA 
Will clean energy make the short list in North Carolina's legislature's short session?
Publication Date: May 31, 2022 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: In North Carolina, five bipartisan energy-related bills are in the mix, that could lower utility bills, expand access to rooftop solar, and promote electric vehicles. Given the short session, however, it's unclear if the bills will be prioritized by legislators. North Carolina colleges/universities should be aware of these bills, and reach out to our policy team if they are interested in helping make sure these are considered.   

OHIO
Mapping tools help Ohio cities chart course for environmental justice
Publication Date: May 25, 2022 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: Municipal governments in the state of Ohio are utilizing new data mapping tools such as the Greenlink Equity Map platform, which allows users to see the intersections among roughly three dozen demographic, economic, and environmental factors. Such tools help ensure better equity outcomes for legislation and assess how burdens are spread across communities.  

VERMONT
Vermont institutions pool resources to win clean energy innovation funding
Publication Date: May 26 2022 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: A new consortium of roughly 20 organizations, known as the Vermont Clean and Resilient Energy Consortium (VCREC), will try to attract federal money to Vermont for projects related to clean energy, decarbonization and resiliency. The consortium, which includes the University of Vermont and the Vermont State Colleges and other higher education institutions, is a great example of how colleges and universities can come together to seek federal funding.

Opportunities to Participate 

NOTE: The following opportunities are for colleges and universities for sign-on; not opportunities for individuals at colleges and universities.  Are you an individual at a higher education institution who believes your college/university may be interested in signing onto the below opportunities?  We encourage you to reach-out to the leadership at your institution and let them know. 

OHIO
Accelerating Ohio's Auto Industry
In Ohio, a legislative package is being considered that would take a comprehensive approach to protect and grow Ohio's auto sector as the global industry transitions to the production of electric vehicles. The package is a blueprint for how the state can electrify its automobiles over the next twenty years, providing incentives for EVs, creating a task force for accelerating the state's transition, and funding worker retraining programs. Higher education institutions can signal their support for this package, and subsequently make 

How to support this effort: Ceres, a Second Nature partner, is coordinating sign-on letters to encourage ambitious ACT rules and support adoption in other states. If your institution is interested in signing on to support this, please email Ceres's Deana Dennis (ddennis@ceres.org) or sign on below by July 1. 

MINNESOTA 
Minnesota Climate Action
Minnesota businesses and institutions are calling for the state to lead a transition to economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Minnesota's Executive Order 19-37 established the Climate Change Subcabinet and the Governor's Advisory Council on climate Change to "promote coordinated climate change mitigation and resilience strategies for the state of Minnesota", recognizing that the state has fallen short of meetings its interim goal of 15% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2015. The Subcabinet identified a plethora of policies that will put the state back on track to meet or exceed its climate goals. Higher education institutions have the opportunity to pressure lawmakers to commit to ambitious climate action. 

How to support this effort: Ceres is also coordinating a sign-on letter to encourage Minnesota legislators to advance ambitious climate legislation. If your institution is interested in signing on to support this, please email Ceres's Deana Dennis (ddennis@ceres.org) or sign on below by June 24. 

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.).