Monthly Policy Update |

July 2022  

Policy Updates

NEED TO KNOW
Factual climate change reporting can influence Americans positively, but not for long
Publication Date: June 24, 2022 | Source: MPR News

• Why This Matters: A new report shows that media coverage of climate change can influence Americans to adopt more accurate beliefs about the environment, but the new information doesn't stay with them for long. The report highlights that people need to hear the same information about climate change again and again. Higher education institutions have the ability to ensure its curriculums center this understanding. 

GLOBAL
Thailand signs world's first country-to-country carbon offsetting pact
Publication Date: June 25, 2022 | Source: The Nation

• Why This Matters: Thailand and Switzerland have signed the world's first country-to-country cooperation pact on emissions, a pact that will allow Switzerland to offset its carbon projects via climate projects in Thailand. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to voluntary cooperate to achieve emission reductions in this regard. 

NATO Moves to Tackle Military Greenhouse Gas Emissions Even While Girding Against Russia
Publication Date: June 28, 2022 | Source: Inside Climate News 

• Why This Matters: Last month, at a Summit largely focused on supporting Ukraine, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries discussed decarbonizing their militaries and incorporating climate change into their mission. Given the enormous carbon footprint of the US military, it's critical that militaries worldwide do their part to reduce emissions. 

Mayors need more powers from central governments to tackle climate crisis
Publication Date: June 28, 2022 | Source: C40 Cities 

• Why This Matters: New research has shown that efforts to meet climate targets and protect the most vulnerable can be accelerated if more power and funding is given to local leaders. Higher education institutions have the potential to significantly influence state and local climate legislation. 

Chair's Summary of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Held by President Joe Biden
Publication Date: June 18, 2022 | Source: The White House 

• Why This Matters: Last month, Biden convened countries from around the world to reiterate their commitment to ambitious climate action, building off of the Glasgow Climate Pact. New commitments include the Global Methane Pledge, the Clean Energy Technologies Demonstration Challenge, as well as several others. 

FEDERAL
FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Launches New Federal-State Offshore Wind Partnerships to Grow American-Made Clean Energy
Publication Date: June 23, 2022 | Source: The White House 

• Why This Matters: The White House convened Governors, labor leaders, and private companies to boost offshore wind supply chains, lower energy costs, and support manufacturing jobs. Higher education institutions should look to follow the White House's lead and support offshore wind legislation whenever possible, as many states introduce related legislation. 

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Catalyzes more than $700 Million in Private Sector Commitments to Make EV Charging More Affordable and Accessible
Publication Date: June 28, 2022 | Source: The White House 

• Why This Matters: The historic private investments will follow the $7.5 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build a network of EV chargers across the country. Colleges and universities across the country can benefit from these investments and work to electrify their own fleets. 

Supreme Court restricts the EPA's authority to mandate carbon emissions reductions
Publication Date: June 30, 2022 | Source: NPR

• Why This Matters: Last month, the Supreme Court said that any time an agency does something big and new – in this case addressing climate change – the regulation is presumptively invalid, unless Congress has specifically authorized regulating in this sphere. The importance of states leading on climate legislation will only heighten as additional federal regulations are overturned. 

INDIVIDUAL STATES
CALIFORNIA 
Inside California's climate change paradox 
Publication Date: June 24, 2022 | Source: Cal Matters

• Why This Matters: While Gavin Newsom's administration has signaled its desire to accelerate clean energy in the state, the state's budget includes weak environmental and public health protections. California has long served as a national leader on climate action, but it's worth noting where legislation has fallen short. 

MAINE
Maine energy efficiency plan puts priority on equity, electrification
Publication Date: June 17, 2022 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: Maine's new energy efficiency plan calls for spending $300 million over three years to increase funding for programs serving low and moderate-income households, continuing efforts to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure into more sparsely populated areas. Other states can look at Maine as an example for how to invest in energy efficiency in an equitable way, and colleges and universities can push state policymakers to follow suit. 

MICHIGAN
MPSC Approves Settlement Moving Consumers Energy Beyond Coal in 2025
Publication Date: June 23, 2022 | Source: Earth Justice

• Why This Matters: The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement that secures 2025 as the retirement date for the Consumers Energy's J.H Campbell coal plant, 15 years earlier than planned. The plant became the 357th plant nationally to announce it will retire by 2030, signifying that fossil fuel companies recognize the need to shift toward renewables. Such closures will make it easier for colleges and universities to power their institutions using clean energy forms. 

PENNSYLVANIA
Poll: 75% of Pennsylvanians accept evidence of climate change
Publication Date: June 24, 2022 | Source: NPR State Impact 

• Why This Matters:  The 2022 Pennsylvania Climate and Energy Survey has found the highest level of acceptance of global warming among residents of the state since the measurement began in 2007. Such widespread acceptance indicates the state is better suited to pass meaningful climate policy than ever before.

TEXAS
Federal Funds Fuel Critical Texas State University Climate Change Research
Publication Date: June 21, 2022 | Source: Texas State University 

• Why This Matters: Texas' Meadows Center for Water and the Environment is working to create a new publicly-available to study the impacts of climate change on the state. The Center received $2 million from  a congressional appropriations bill to expand upon its research, a great example of how colleges and universities can advance their climate work through 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. 

FEDERAL
Investing in Climate-Smart Transportation
The bipartisan infrastructure bill deploys federal funds across diverse sectors to support the investment in creating greener, healthier communities.  This includes releasing billions of dollars for transportation infrastructure projects.  A recent America Is All In (AIAI) report shows how the US transportation sector could reduce emissions 34% by 2030.  This effort is particularly relevant for colleges and universities because investments in climate-smart transportation will:

• Provide commuting faculty and staffers with more public transit options and Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers;

• Make campuses more walkable and reduce the threat of dangerous vehicles;

• Support institutions’ research on clean transportation solutions.

How to support this effort: The voice of the higher education sector can play a crucial role in ensuring these climate-smart transportation policies continue to be prioritized. If your institution's senior leadership team is interested in lending your support through an op-ed, we are happy to help your team draft one. This is a great way to share your leadership publicly, and align your ongoing work with those of other sector leaders. If you are interested, please reach out directly to Second Nature at policyteams@secondnature.org, or the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Courtney Bourgoin (cbourgoin@rmi.org) for more information.

Apply for Climate Funding
Higher education institutions are eligible to apply for competitive federal grants that can fund important climate, infrastructure, and transportation projects. This funding is coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and has the potential to significantly contribute to campus decarbonization and climate programming. There are two primary grant programs geared toward colleges and universities:

1. Energyshed: Exploring Place-Based Generation: Provides funding for research, development, and demonstration projects that accelerate the large-scale development and deployment of renewable energy to support an equitable transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by 2050. 

2. University Transportation Centers Program (UTCP): Provide funding for establishing and operating University Transportation Centers that conduct research on clean transportation solutions.

How to apply: Institutions can apply for the Energyshed Program by August 1st here, and for the University Transportation Centers Program by August 25th here. These opportunities have been shared by America Is All In, a coalition of diverse entities that Second Nature is a part of. 

STATE
California
Transportation is the leading and growing source of climate and harmful air pollutant emissions in the US.  The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering a draft Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) rule, a critical climate and clean air policy that would transition Medium- and Heavy-Duty (MHD) vehicle sales to 100% zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040. This will be achieved through annually-increasing purchase and deployment targets for fleets, with faster timelines for sectors more suitable to electrification.

How to support this effort: Ceres a Second Nature partner, is coordinating a sign-on letter to encourage CARB to adopt this Advanced Clean Fleet rule. If your institution is interested in signing on, please contact Ceres's Alli Gold Roberts (goldroberts@ceres.org) by July 31st. 

CARB is also considering a draft Clean Cars II (ACC) rule, The ACC rule will increase the number of zero-emission vehicles for sale, reduce criteria and greenhouse gas emission for new vehicles, and seek to increase access to ZEVs for priority communities.  

How to support this effort: Ceres a Second Nature partner, is coordinating a sign-on letter to encourage CARB to adopt this Advanced Clean Cars II rule. If your institution is interested in signing on, please contact Ceres's Alli Gold Roberts (goldroberts@ceres.org) by September 30.   

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.).