Each month, we explore a climate policy topic in depth, bringing in experts and pushing forward the conversation. Scroll further to watch our previous webinars and read our recaps on each topic.
Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect those of Climate XChange.
4.18.2024
What’s Next? Overcoming Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition
After years of ambitious campaigns to set clean energy targets and pass enabling policies across the country, focus is now expanding to how and when these much-needed investments will take place. Transforming the power grid can be slow and complex, but it’s crucial that states are able to overcome transmission barriers on a shorter timescale.
Accelerating our clean energy investments calls for policy innovation in siting and permitting, advanced grid technologies, and reforming how utilities and other state actors approach energy efficiency. We invited a panel of experts to discuss how states can overcome long standing barriers to the grid transition to ensure that their investments are as effective and timely as possible.
2.13.2024
2024 State Climate Policy Trends — What’s on the Horizon This Year
As state legislative sessions begin around the country, staying up to date with the latest policy trends is essential for any climate actor. We invited a panel of experts to explore what climate policies are being introduced this year and which trends to keep an eye on — both for state legislatures and federal climate funding opportunities. Our panel of experts included Ava Gallo, Climate & Energy Program Manager at the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL); and Jaclyn Lea, Policy Associate, and Tom Taylor, Senior Policy Analyst, working on the Climate Program Portal for Atlas Public Policy.
In this recap article, we’ll provide highlights from our expert panel’s presentations, including an overview of state climate legislative trends this year and highlights from current federal climate funding opportunities and outcomes.
1.17.2024
Clearing the Air: Strategies for Effective State Methane Abatement Policies
As electrification efforts increase demand for energy in the U.S., oil and natural gas are likely sources to meet new energy needs — at least in the short-term. However, the extraction, transportation, and processing of oil and gas are collectively the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the country. As methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide (and responsible for around a third of human-induced warming), it’s essential that states have strong and ambitious policies to limit pollution from this fossil fuel.
In December the U.S. EPA released their final rule for oil and gas operations, which includes New Source Performance Standards that reduce pollution from new or reconstructed fossil fuel sources, and Emissions Guidelines that help states develop plans to limit methane emissions.
We invited a panel of experts to explore what the new EPA rule means for ambitious climate policy at the state level and highlight existing state approaches to regulating methane. Our panelists included Jon Goldstein, Senior Director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs at EDF; Barry Rabe, Professor of Environmental Policy, University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; and Kayley Shoup, Citizens Caring for the Future, a grassroots organization working on reducing methane emissions in New Mexico.
11.16.2023
Climate Action Planning — Best Practices for Climate Pollution Reduction Grants and Beyond
With $5 billion in federal funding for climate planning through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants(CPRG), nearly every state is developing or revising their strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to inform their Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP). Ensuring that the measures included in each state’s PCAP are science-based, equitable, and ambitious yet feasible is essential to stay on track for Paris-aligned emissions reductions. Further, a robust PCAP sets the stage for each state’s CPRG implementation funding, which is set to be awarded by fall of 2024 and is based on the projects submitted in the PCAP.
We invited a panel of experts to explore tools and best practices for states utilizing CPRG funding for effective and equitable climate planning. Our panel included Phillip Assmus, Senior Policy Specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) State and Local Climate and Energy Program; Drew Veysey, Senior Associate at RMI; and Justin Balik, State Program Director at Evergreen Action.
10.19.2023
Delivering on Justice40 — Perspectives from State Agency Staff
It’s been more than two years since the creation of the Justice40 Initiative, which established the goal that 40 percent of federal climate and clean energy investment benefits flow to communities long overburdened by pollution. While this is a crucial and unprecedented step toward prioritizing frontline communities, delivering on this promise will require more than the funding itself. We need robust collaboration and information-sharing across federal, tribal, state, and local governments, and among governmental staff, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), technical assistance (TA) providers, and policymakers. It will certainly take more than a village to ensure underserved communities can access and implement the solutions they need to secure a just and resilient future.
State agencies sit at the crossroads of this federal funding for communities — they administer and award federal formula funds, facilitate competitive grant applications, and coordinate stakeholder engagement and knowledge sharing. In order to shed light on how these important stakeholders are navigating federal guidelines, and to identify barriers to reaching the communities Justice40 was designed to serve, Climate XChange, Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), and Beech Hill Research spoke with 16 state agency staff working on Justice40-covered programs across the country in the spring and summer of 2023. Our goal was to understand the experiences of state agency staff and distill a snapshot of their work in their own words.
7.19.2023
The State of State Climate Ambition — Modeling Policy Progress and Opportunities with RMI
As legislative sessions wrap up across the country and billions of federal climate dollars continue flowing to states, identifying priorities for future policy action is critical. To help states understand these opportunities, RMI partnered with Climate XChange on 20 State Climate Scorecards analyzing how states are progressing toward climate-aligned targets. The scorecards use the State Energy Policy Simulator models to:
- Explore each state’s progress on climate action,
- Assess how current climate and clean energy policies will help meet emissions reduction goals, and
- Identify gaps in each state’s policy landscape that can further mitigate climate change.
Using these scorecards, our panel of experts from RMI and Climate XChange explored how the U.S. landscape of state-level climate policy will help us reach our climate goals, including which states are leading the charge, what policies are essential to meet emissions reduction targets, and how states can pass ambitious, science-based climate policy to close remaining gaps.
7.10.2023
Anti-ESG Legislation — Why it Matters and What States Can Do
States across the country have seen a wave of legislative attempts to prevent state governments from contracting with companies that consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their investments. These “anti-ESG” bills take various forms, including “boycott bills,” which aim to prohibit state governments from contracting with financial institutions whose ESG metrics would effectively “boycott” any industries that the state’s economy relies on — like fossil fuels. Other anti-ESG legislation seeks to prevent state fund managers, especially for pension funds, from considering ESG factors in their investments.
We invited a panel of experts to explore state-level anti-ESG trends and share how states with proposed or enacted anti-ESG legislation can continue to work toward their climate goals. Panelists* included Connor Gibson, Opposition Research Specialist; Jordan Haedtler, Climate Financial Policy Consultant; and Jessica Church, Advocacy & Political Manager for Take on Wall Street at Americans for Financial Reform.
5.16.2023
Building State Capacity to Unlock Federal Dollars — Insights from the State Funding Readiness Project
As states across the country get into the full swing of implementing federal climate dollars in their communities, we recognize that sharing lessons learned across state lines is more important now than ever. Building capacity and providing technical assistance is essential to ensure state governments and their partners can effectively and equitably utilize their federal funds to advance meaningful climate action.
One such technical assistance provider is the State Funding Readiness Project (SFRP), an initiative led by Hua Nani Partners and the US Climate Alliance that provides free technical assistance and capacity support to help states unlock the full potential of federal climate investments. This week, we hosted a panel of their experts to share what they learned from the early stages of this program, including insights into the role of equity and Justice40, best practices for federal grant applications, and a case study from one of their state partners. Expert speakers include:
- Chris Bast, Principal at Hua Nani Partners
- Jasmine McAdams, SFRP Equity and Environmental Justice Lead
- Melissa Hampe, SFRP Federal Grant Writing Expert
4.19.2023
Capitalizing on Climate Cash — State Strategies for Leveraging Federal Funding
With hundreds of billions of climate dollars unlocked by recent federal funding initiatives, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), states must be prepared to receive and leverage their money for climate and clean energy plans, projects, and programs. Many states across the country have already introduced and even passed legislation to create or strengthen state and local funding bodies and initiatives for this purpose, using various methods, from statewide green banks to specific federal matching funds and more.
To explore the approaches some states have taken, we invited a panel of experts, including Anjali Bains, Lead Director of Energy Access and Equity at Fresh Energy in Minnesota, and Kirsten Stasio, CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF).
2.15.2023
2023 State Climate Policy Trends — What’s on the Horizon This Year
As state legislative sessions begin around the country, staying up to date with the latest policy trends is essential for any climate actor. In this webinar, Climate XChange invited a group of experts to explore what climate policies are being introduced in state legislatures this year and what trends you should keep an eye on.
Our panel included Ava Gallo, Climate & Energy Coordinator at the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL); Sam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor at Evergreen Action, and Senior Fellow for Energy and Environment at the Center for American Progress; and Jordan Haedtler, former congressional aide and climate finance policy consultant working with The Sunrise Project.
11.09.2022
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is — Best Practices for Implementing Biden’s Justice40 Initiative
In January of 2021, President Biden made a commitment to ensuring that 40 percent of certain federal investments related to climate and the environment benefit disadvantaged communities, the Justice40 Initiative. While this lofty goal designates climate justice as a national priority, implementing and delivering on this promise is not so simple.
To explore how best to tackle implementing the Justice40 (J40) Initiative, L4GG and Climate XChange brought together a panel of experts, including Kristin Wood, J40 Lead at the Department of Transportation; Kirsten Baumgart Turner, Deputy Energy Officer for the Hawai’i State Energy Office; and Zach Lou, Coalition Manager of the California Green New Deal Coalition. Joined by L4GG and CXC experts, we discussed collaboration between the different levels of government, different state approaches to J40, and the importance of community engagement in the context of implementing the federal J40 goal.
10.20.2022
Green Banks and the IRA: How States Can Leverage Funding for Climate Action
Among the many pro-climate funding mechanisms in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the creation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which grants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) $20 billion to establish a national green bank, and an additional $7 billion specifically for state, local, and tribal governments’ own clean power investments.
The IRA’s allowances for green banking will facilitate direct and indirect investments into emissions reductions projects, especially in underserved communities, and states will play a huge role in allocating funds. In states with or without existing green banks, climate policy actors must understand how the IRA affects state-level clean power financing institutions.
To explore the IRA’s impacts on sub-federal green banks, including both state-funded and independent nonprofit institutions, we were joined by Henry Litman, Senior Director at Coalition for Green Capital, Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank, and Duanne Andrade, Chief Strategic and Financial Officer of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund in Florida.
07.19.2022
Structuring State Governments to Prioritize Environmental Justice
As a core tenet of the environmental movement, environmental justice (EJ) continues to evolve in the state policy arena. However, states are realizing that as justice and equity policies progress, their government structure must also evolve to meet these new challenges. Embodying environmental justice principles requires re-structuring key features of state government such as staffing, authority, resources, representation, and procedures. This “EJ Bureaucracy” varies immensely across the states, thus there are important questions to ask and practices to share in order to make sure that our state governments truly prioritize environmental justice. Watch Climate XChange’s own research team and Guillermo Rogel Jr. from Front and Centered discuss what exactly “EJ Bureaucracy” is, what recent state models exist, and what questions to ask when evaluating your state.
05.17.2022
Tackling Preemption: Fighting State Efforts to Block Municipal Climate Action
In the absence of state and federal climate action, cities around the country have turned to local policies to ensure a cleaner, greener future for themselves. Unfortunately, many state legislatures have introduced and even enacted bills that prohibit such local climate policies, using a strategy known as preemptive legislation to target municipal efforts related to clean energy, electrification, and more. Understanding what this preemption language looks like, how it threatens both climate action and equity, and how to respond to it, is essential for state climate policy actors across sectors.
Joining us to discuss this in detail was Sara Zimmerman, Director of the Climate Equity Policy Center, who discussed what preemption looks like, how it threatens climate equity, and strategies to fight it, including building political power through coalitions across issue areas, enacting savings clauses, and litigating when it’s wise to do so. Logan Welde, Staff Attorney and Legislative Director of Clean Air Council, continued the conversation by exploring the impacts of Dillon vs. Home Rule on state preemption, Pennsylvania as a case study for preemptive natural gas and single-use plastic bills, and examples of litigation as a successful tool.
04.19.2022
Equitable Climate Programs at the State and Local Level
Including equity in climate action is of the utmost importance, but many climate policy actors may be unsure of how exactly to do so in their climate programs. With the influx of federal climate funding initiatives and the ever-increasing pressure of climate change on our communities, we must take steps to design and implement truly justice-centered climate programs. Fortunately, we can learn from existing examples across the country; at the state and local level, governments have been partnering with communities to create innovative, equity-based outcomes for years, and we must look to them when designing new climate funding programs or altering existing ones.
We were joined by representatives from two such examples of climate equity programs: Sophie Young, Program Manager for the Transformative Climate Communities Program at California’s Strategic Growth Council, and Sam Baraso, Program Manager for the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning & Sustainability. We discussed what operationalizing equity looks like, the importance of community engagement, legislative and organizational opportunities for implementing equity, and more!
03.17.2022
Youth Climate Activism: The Next Generation of Climate Stakeholders
While the landscape of climate activism is always changing, recent years have seen a major influx of new voices into the climate movement – and they are much younger than what mainstream environmentalism is used to. Youth climate activism has encouraged major shifts in the climate policy discussion towards a more diverse, intersectional, and holistic approach to fighting climate change. Understanding the concerns identified by youth activists, as well as their proposed solutions and pathways, is essential for all climate policy stakeholders hoping to shape truly innovative and inclusive policies.
To facilitate this important conversation, Climate XChange is elevating the perspectives of three youth activists in our March webinar. Shiv Soin, Executive Director at TREEage, Aaditi Lele from Change the Chamber, and Lyla Choi, Policy Analyst at Zero Hour, will join us to discuss lessons, challenges, and opportunities for climate policy from the perspective of youth activists.
2.15.2022
Federal Climate Funding Initiatives: What States Should Know
With the creation and continuing development of several new federal funding initiatives like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Build Back Better, Justice40, and others, many are wondering how state-level climate action will be affected. States looking to secure funding for effective and equitable climate projects and programs must know how best to prepare for and implement these varying funding sources and guidelines, and we want to help you do just that.
Joining us to discuss these federal funding developments and the implications for states are three experts in the space. Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Director of Domestic Climate and Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress, Joseph Kane, Fellow at Brookings Metro of the Brookings Institution, and Colleen Callahan, Deputy Director at UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation, will each provide insight into what states need to know about these funding initiatives and how they will affect state-level actors in securing a better, brighter future for the climate.
12.14.2021
Tracking State Climate Policy: How to Use the New SCPN Dashboard
What does it mean to pass adaptation and resilience policy? What does decarbonizing the transportation sector entail? And where can I see where the strongest climate policies have been implemented across the country?
The new State Climate Policy Dashboard (The Dashboard) answers these questions and more, serving as a one-stop shop for all things state climate policy. The Dashboard has two main components: 1) the State Climate Policy Tracker, which tracks 51 climate policies across all 50 states, and 2) the State Climate Policy Resource Hub, which serves as an educational counterpart to the tracker, providing explanations, resource links, and model state examples for each policy area. This information hub tracks 51 policies across seven different topic areas, across all 50 states.
In this webinar, Climate XChange staff will walk SCPN members through our brand new State Climate Policy Dashboard. Join SCPN Associate Kristen Soares, Research Director Jonah Kurman-Faber, and Research Associate Ruby Wincele for a presentation on how to utilize this dashboard, and what state climate policy entails.
11.18.2021
Learning From and Supporting Indigenous Climate Advocacy
Native tribes’ close relationship with and dependency on the natural environment has placed them on the frontlines of a crisis they are not responsible for. Though Indigenous communities contribute relatively small amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, climate change poses a significant threat to Indigenous survival and ways of life. However, we are increasingly understanding the immense value that Indigenous knowledge has in guiding natural resource conservation, regeneration, and land stewardship.
Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the crisis are transitioning to clean energy, releasing comprehensive climate adaptation plans, and curbing their emissions. Indigenous knowledge, and resistance to government and corporate incursions on land, presents a critical approach to environmental justice and activism.
Joining us to discuss this topic are four Indigenous leaders in the climate space. Jade Begay, the Climate Justice Campaign Director at the NDN Collective, Ruth Miller and Nauri Toler of the Native Movement, and Angela Mooney D’Arcy, the Executive Director of the Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, will each provide insight into how Indigenous climate advocacy can best be supported, and what policymakers and advocates should learn from tribal communities who are leading the way.
Read our Recap
10.15.2021
Passing State-Level Food Policy
Food production uses up half of the Earth’s habitable land, and is responsible for nearly a third of global heat-trapping emissions. These emissions come from the growing, processing, transporting, storing, cooking, and disposing of the foods we eat every day, and in the wake of a climate crisis that requires a breadth of bold solutions, emissions from the food cannot be ignored. About 6% – 8% of human-caused emissions could be eliminated if we stopped wasting food, and plenty of other agricultural changes could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our food.
Joining us to discuss how US states can tackle agricultural greenhouse gas emissions at the state-level are four experts in the field. Amy Brown, the Director of Food and Agriculture Program at NRDC, will discuss the enormous carbon footprint of our food system, and the tools we have to mitigate this environmental impact. Professor Ariel Ardura, from Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, will discuss which policies can reduce food waste. From The Good Food Institute, Emily Hennessee will discuss the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, and what a transition to alternative proteins could look like. Finally, Peter Ruddock, the Coordinator of California Food Policy Council, will discuss the climate benefits of regenerative agriculture, and the progress California has made in this space.
09.21.2021
Disaster Resilience For All
The world is waking up to the devastating impacts of climate change and its increasingly prevalent disasters: the world’s seven warmest years have occurred since 2014; in 2020, there were 22 disasters in the US alone costing over $1 billion each, the most on record and over triple the annual average since 1980; over 93% of the Western U.S. is in drought, which hasn’t happened since record-keeping began 126 years ago. Building resilience to disasters must be central to our climate policy, and doing so in an equitable manner is essential.
Joining us to discuss the importance of equitable and effective disaster resilience and best practices in the space are four amazing and varied speakers from across sectors. Katie Spidalieri, Senior Associate at Georgetown Climate Center, will dive into how states are integrating disaster resilience and climate policy in an equitable way. Dr. Samantha Montano, Author of Disasterology: Dispatches From The Frontlines of The Climate Crisis, will expand on the need for emergency management reform given increasing disaster risk. Ben Smilowitz, Founder and Executive Director of Disaster Accountability Project& SmartResponse.org will speak on his experiences in community oversight and engagement, as well as targeted response efforts, within disaster recovery and resilience projects. And Justice Shorter, Disaster Protection Advisor at the National Disability Rights Network, will highlight her experiences at the intersection of disability rights and disaster protection.
07.21.2021
Rooting Environmental Justice Efforts in Community
Grassroots community organizing is and always has been at the heart of the environmental justice movement. In recent years, this organizing has led to state-level legislative successes across the nation, including expanding community engagement, developing equitable climate funding requirements, and establishing environmental justice task forces — yet there is still more work to be done. Closing the gap between grassroots organizers and the rest of the climate action community is an essential step in securing a truly just and equitable future for our planet.
July’s Deep Dive webinar focused on the environmental and climate organizations that are doing this hard work, highlighting their on-the-ground efforts to empower communities and emphasizing how other state actors can support this action. What can we learn from decades of grassroots environmental justice organizing? In what ways can we collaborate with frontline communities to develop long-term resilience to the climate crisis? How can we ground our work for state-level climate justice in true equity and community care?
To answer these questions and more were speakers from across the country with years of experience in organizing for environmental justice. Veronica Padilla-Campos, Executive Director at Pacoima Beautiful, shared her experiences fighting for a cleaner and safer environment in California’s Northeast San Fernando Valley. Kate McIntosh, Program Coordinator at Louisiana Bucket Brigade, discussed her work collaborating with frontline communities to push back petrochemical pollution. And Kortni Washington, our own State Climate Policy Fellow at Climate XChange, delved into the intersection of public health and environmental justice at the grassroots local and state levels.
06.10.2021
Federal Climate Action’s Impact on States
After four years of environmental rollbacks and inaction on climate change, the tides have turned on Capitol Hill. Since Biden took office in January, we’ve seen a slew of climate initiatives and introduced policies, including an early Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis, a proposed climate-focused infrastructure bill, and new greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets. Policymakers and advocates at the state level have asked – what does this action mean for states? How can state legislators and climate activists best complement the work of the federal government? Joining us to tackle these questions and many more are two prominent climate leaders who lead national organizations fighting for effective and equitable climate policy. Keya Chatterjee, the Executive Director of US Climate Action Network, and Jasmine Sanders, the Executive Director of Our Climate, will discuss what’s taken place to date, and contextualize what federal climate action will mean for states across the country.
Speakers:
- Jasmine Sanders, Executive Director of Our Climate
- Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director of US Climate Action Network
04.07.2021
How State Governments Can Help Communities Invest in Climate Resilience
As the threat of climate change worsens, it has become increasingly important that state governments help build local climate resilience. Investing in climate resilience reaps many benefits, including environmental protection, improved quality of life, social equity, reduced disaster impacts, and increased economic stability. This Deep Dive webinar tackled the strategies that policymakers and advocates can utilize to help local governments invest in climate resilience.
Joining us were two experts in this field: Jenn Phillips, a Senior Policy Adviser at the US Climate Alliance, and Joyce Coffee, the President of Climate Resilience Consulting. Coffee, a climate resilience expert, detailed her organization’s recent report “Recommendations for State Climate Resilience Leadership. Phillips, who advises the states of the US Climate Alliance in her natural and working lands and climate resilience role at the Alliance, shared best practices and major political developments in the US today. Additionally, staff from New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department shared updates on the Climate Risk Map tool it is developing and how the state plans to use this tool and other upcoming adaptation and resilience initiatives to enhance climate resilience statewide.
Speakers:
- Jennifer Phillips, Senior Policy Adviser at US Climate Alliance
- Joyce Coffee, President of Climate Resilience Consulting
- Laura Tabor, Sustainability and Resilience Officer of the Energy Conservation and Management Division at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department
- Robert Gomez, Resilience Coordinator, the Energy Conservation and Management Division at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department
02.16.2021
The Road to 100% Renewable Energy
The concept of 100% renewable energy is rising as a policy choice for reducing carbon pollution. In recent years, several cities and states have committed to 100% renewable energy or net-zero goals, and President Joe Biden has committed to carbon neutrality nationwide before 2050 in his most recent climate plan.
February’s Deep Dive webinar looked at these policies under a microscope. What is the difference between 100% renewable, net-zero, and carbon neutrality? How can we ensure the protection of jobs in a massive energy transition? How can we ensure that vulnerable populations are protected? What technology is needed to achieve 100% renewable energy? How can we pass these policies in legislatures across the country?
We were joined by Dr. Erin Mayfield, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the High Meadows Environmental Institute, who discussed a recent report released by Princeton University, Net-Zero America: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, of which she was a collaborator. Aiko Schaefer, Director of the 100% Network, shared her experiences advancing 100% renewable energy policies that benefit people of color and harbor a just transition. Jeremy Caron, Sustainability Program Manager at City of Des Moines, shared his on-the-ground experience of getting a 100% renewable energy standard passed in Des Moines, Iowa. And Chad Stephens, Ohio Ready for 100 Conservation Program Coordinator, detailed the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Campaign Toolkits and resources with a particular focus on Ohio Ready for 100 Campaigns.
01.12.2021
The Power of Labor in a Green Economy
A just transition to a clean energy economy requires ensuring that labor groups are at the table, and that quality green jobs are created across the country. But how can climate advocates and policymakers ensure that the move away from fossil fuels and toward renewables doesn’t leave anyone behind?
In this Deep Dive webinar, we heard from a broad range of experts who gave an overview the importance of ensuring labor groups are at the table during this transition. Carol Zabin, Director of the Green Economy Program at the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, shared the latest research on the issues of job creation, access, and training in the emergent green economy. Kevin Lee, the State Policy Director at the Blue Green Alliance, discussed how labor unions and environmental organizations across the country are coming together to create good jobs while protecting the environment. Cecilia Estolano, the CEO of A Better World Group, shared how a California coalition of environmental and labor groups helped enact some of the nation’s boldest climate policies. Finally, Jon Grossman, a union representative at the Service Employees International Union, brought a critical union perspective to this conversation.
12.09.2020
What Biden’s Election Means for State Climate Policy
For the last four years, the Trump Administration has rolled back environmental regulations and denied the existence of climate change. President-elect Biden, however, made climate policy a central tenet of his campaign. In his first 100 days, he has promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and enact his $2 trillion clean energy plan, which includes a focus on environmental justice communities. With the final breakdown of the Senate in the hands of two Georgia runoff elections, climate advocates may be looking at a less than ideal federal landscape.
This webinar features two renowned climate leaders who have dedicated their careers to combating the climate crisis. Tina Johnson, Director of The National Black Environmental Justice Network, has been a tireless advocate of environmental justice and equity both nationally and internationally. Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, North America Director at 350.org, has worked to build a multiracial, multi-generational climate movement that is capable of holding our leaders accountable to science and justice.
Noa Dalzell, Manager of the State Climate Policy Network at Climate XChange, moderates this conversation as Tina Johnson and Tamara Toles O’Laughlin guide us through their perspective on what Biden’s election entails for state level climate policy moving forward.
11.20.2020
Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is an interconnected network of natural areas and other open spaces that conserve natural ecosystem values and functions, sustain clean air and water and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife. It is the ecological framework for environmental, social, and economic health – in short, our natural life-support system (Benedict and McMahon 2006). In this webinar we explore the benefits, scalability, implementation, politics, and potential funding of green infrastructure projects. We dive deep into green infrastructure as another equitable and effective tool to address the climate crisis.
This Deep Dive webinar discussion is led by three experts who are nationally-known for their advocacy and successful implementation of green infrastructure projects. Christine Conn is the Landscape Conservation Planner for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. She is especially recognized for successfully engaging diverse stakeholders in innovative green infrastructure projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Sacoby Wilson directs the Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health Laboratory. His views on exposure science, environmental justice and environmental health disparities — based on crowd science and community-based participatory research — are especially pertinent to successful green infrastructure projects in frontline communities. Finally, Will Allen, who oversees the Conservation Leadership Network, is an expert on green infrastructure and conservation GIS.
This conversation is moderated by Jane Fountain, Professor at the UMass School of Public Policy, which is sponsoring this webinar. The program is part of a series of forums on national climate policy co-hosted by Climate XChange and the Pricing Carbon Initiative.
10.30.2020
Climate Risks: A Fireside Chat with Bob Litterman and Climate Leaders
Climate impacts are estimated to cost the world $7.9 trillion by 2050. The latest report, prepared for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) by a committee chaired by Bob Litterman, states that climate change is already impacting nearly every facet of the economy, including infrastructure, agriculture, residential and commercial property, human health, and labor productivity. These impacts are also disproportionately burdening frontline communities along our coast that are being battered by extreme weather and sea level rise, and small businesses that lack the resources to endure climate catastrophes.
In this webinar, we dove deep into how climate change is putting all aspects of society at risk — global financial systems, frontline communities, small businesses, environmental protection and smart growth — and the potential role for carbon pricing in addressing this worsening crisis. In this context, Bob Litterman briefly comments on his work with several climate advocacy organizations, including his co-chairing the board of the Climate Leadership Council, in the wake of Ted Halstead’s untimely death.
10.06.2020
The Environmental Vote
It’s hard to overstate both the chaos and the stakes surrounding this year’s election. We’re currently facing an ongoing pandemic that has shifted the way we can carry out the electoral process, an economic crisis greater than we have seen in over a decade, and the ever-present realities of living in a climate altered world, most recently epitomized by the horrific wildfires throughout the West. The climate crisis is increasingly a top concern for most Americans, and has become a defining issue for primary campaigns – the power of climate voters is now more important than ever.
From the Sunrise Movement, Sara Singh joins us to talk about the impact that Sunrise has had on recent campaigns, and why the environmental vote matters. Nathaniel Stinnet, the Executive Director of Environmental Voter Project, breaks down how his organization identifies environmentalists across the country and works to ensure they vote in every election. This conversation is moderated by Maria Virginia Olano, Climate XChange’s Communication Director and Cooler Earth Podcast host.
9.03.2020
A Fireside Chat with Congressman Sean Casten
In 2018, in a historically Republican district, Sean Casten ran one of the most pro-climate Congressional campaigns in the country. Casten, a clean energy entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, ultimately beat out six-term Republican Representative Peter Roskam in Illinois’s 6th District, which was considered critical to Democrats winning the House.
In this Deep Dive webinar, Representative Sean Casten discusses why he has made combating climate change his top priority while in Congress. He also dives into his experience as part of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and discusses his upcoming climate bill. Bill Eacho, co-founder of the Partnership for Responsible Growth, moderates the webinar, and Climate XChange and the Pricing Carbon Initiative host this event.
8.12.2020
Building Inclusive and Effective Climate Coalitions
The climate crisis, and the myriad policy solutions required to tackle its massively diverse impacts, are too large of issues for one organization to tackle on its own. As with the most successful organizing, passing such policies requires building coalitions and working together towards common goals.
In this webinar, we will explore how to effectively build inclusive subnational coalitions that can push for racial and climate justice through ambitious climate policy.
Joining us are the three climate advocates who have helped lead inclusive, successful climate coalitions at the state and municipal level. Shilpa Joshi, the Coalition Director for Renew Oregon, who successfully convened hundreds of progressive organizations who have rallied for strong climate action. Camila Thorndike, the co-founder of Our Climate, who spearheaded the campaign to pass the 2018 Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act. Maritza Silva-Farrell, the Executive Director of ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York, who was instrumental in the passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019.
All three speakers bring unique perspectives, but have one thing in common: they’ve successfully led diverse coalitions for strong climate action in their jurisdictions.
7.14.2020
Pricing Carbon In Canada
Carbon pollution pricing has long been a critical part of the plan to fight climate change in Canada. The provinces of British Columbia and Quebec were two early leaders in this policy. In 2008, British Columbia introduced the first broad-carbon tax in North America; the tax supports the growth of B.C.’s low carbon economy and includes programs to keep the tax affordable while providing opportunities to make lower carbon choices. Quebec became the first jurisdiction to price carbon in North America in 2006, and has been linked to California’s robust cap-and-invest system since 2013. In October 2016, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Pan-Canadian Approach to Pricing Carbon Pollution, which gave provinces and territories the flexibility to develop their own carbon pollution pricing system or adopt the federal system, and outlined criteria all systems must meet to ensure they are stringent, fair, and efficient.
How do these Canadian carbon pricing systems operate, and what has made them so effective? What have we learned from these policies over the last 12 years? Professor Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan and expert on climate and energy politics, provides a non-governmental perspective on the Canadian carbon markets that have led the way for other states. Joining us for this Deep Dive into Canada’s carbon markets are two government officials from the provinces that have led the way: Jeremy Hewitt, the Assistant Deputy Minister of B.C.’s Climate Action Secretariat; and Delegate Marie-Claude Francoeur, a senior leader in Quebec’s Department of Transportation at the time of the policy’s inception.
6.10.2020
Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector
Transportation has surpassed electricity to become the largest source of emissions in the U.S. While recent studies project that electric vehicles will become cheaper than gas and diesel cars in the coming decade, we currently lack the proper charging infrastructure and incentives to accelerate that transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles.
Our current transportation system is failing our climate; the average American spends 97 hours in congestion per year, with that time increasing year over year for our most congested cities. We have to reimagine how we move people and goods, and design our streetscapes to allow cars, bikers, public transit, and pedestrians to safely coexist in a way that improves the climate, health, and wellbeing of our communities.
In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, states are moving ahead with the Transportation and Climate Initiative, which will put a price on transportation-sector carbon emissions.
How can carbon pricing incentivize the transition to a decarbonized transportation system? Joining us to tackle this question and many more are three experts in this field: Beth Osborne, Executive Director of Transportation for America, Colin Murphy, the Deputy Director, UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy; and Dan Gatti, the Director of Clean Transportation Policy at Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
5.13.2020
Natural Climate Solutions: The Role of Agriculture and Carbon Capture in the Transition
U.S. forests store the equivalent of 52 years’ worth of the country’s carbon emissions, and even in today’s highly partisan political climate, conserving our forests, planting more trees, and improving agricultural practices are initiatives with bipartisan support. But how exactly can policy effectively incentivize farmers and landowners to reforest their lands and improve their management?
Just as carbon pollution pricing can serve as a market signal for businesses and individuals to choose cleaner energy, agricultural incentives can promote regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration through land and crop management. Join us for our May Deep Dive webinar, where we will explore how agriculture can be a key part of climate change mitigation, and how we can harness the power of nature to achieve critical climate goals.
We sat down with three experts in the field — Jessie Martin, the Executive Director of Carbon Washington, Max Neuemayer, the Policy Director of Mad Agriculture, and Matthew Sheffer, the Managing Director of Hudson Carbon — to discuss the potential of natural lands to play a role in combating climate change, and how we can incentivize best practices.
4.07.2020
Cities Confronting the Climate Crisis
As federal climate action continues to lag, municipalities around the country have led the way in confronting the climate crisis, implementing ambitious and innovative policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and transition to a clean energy economy.
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously described states as “laboratories of democracy,” but in recent years, cities have taken the mantle in pushing forward bold climate solutions. These policies will only inspire future action and catalyze action at the state level.
In this Deep Dive webinar, local officials discuss their success with climate policies, including carbon pricing and climate mitigation fees. Mayor Arlene Burns from Moiser, Oregon; Commissioner Mark Marcoplos from Orange County, North Carolina; Sustainability Coordinator Robin Adams from Red Lodge, Montana; City Councilor Quinton Zondervan from Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Mayor Steve Patterson from Athens, Ohio, highlight the bold policies they have championed in their jurisdictions.
3.17.2020
Why Carbon Pricing is a Public Health Issue
Air pollution is one of the world’s largest killers, responsible for 6.4 million deaths around the world each year. In the U.S. alone, studies have shown that more than 100,000 Americans die from pollution-related illnesses annually, which include increased risks of heart disease, lung cancer, and asthma attacks, among other diseases.
How can carbon pricing reap public health benefits? A 2014 Harvard study, led by Dr. Jonathan Buonocore, found that a moderate price on carbon in Massachusetts would save 340 lives and reap $2.9 billion of cumulative health benefits. Similarly, a 2020 Climate XChange study found that California cap-and-trade investments have generated $19.7 billion in public health benefits.
Our webinar features the lead authors of these reports, as well as American Public Health Association’s Rachel McMonagle, discussing the research on how carbon pricing can effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save lives.
2.11.2020
Communicating the Climate Crisis
Communicating the climate crisis is a critical part of moving policy solutions forward, but it continues to be a challenge for many pushing for action. As advocates and policymakers, we are in charge of communicating the problems we face and bringing to life the solutions and future we envision. In this Deep Dive webinar, we explore the psychological and social barriers of translating knowledge into action, and conclude with a series of best practices.
This webinar is led by Maria Virginia Olano, Climate XChange Communications Director and climate communications expert. Also joining us is Jothsna Harris, the Community Engagement Manager at Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy. Climate Generation is a Minnesota-based climate nonprofit advocating for equitable climate solutions.
Learn more about how to deploy best practices for effectively communicating the most pressing crisis of our time.
1.09.2020
Governors Leading the way on Climate Action
As the climate crisis intensifies and federal inaction remains, governors across the nation are taking matters into their own hands. A bipartisan coalition of 25 governors, known as the U.S. Climate Alliance, have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Hawaii Governor David Ige, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan are four of the governors participating in this initiative.
Our webinar features the executive-branch officials leading these climate efforts. From Minnesota, Environmental Quality Board Executive Director Will Seuffert speaks on the state’s recent executive order to create a Subcabinet on Climate Change. Representing New Mexico, Sustainability and Resilience Officer Laura Tabor and Environmental Protections Director Sandra Ely discuss the state’s recent emission-reduction recommendations, which evaluate the adoption of an economy-wide cap-and-trade program. From Hawaii, Anukriti Hittle, who helps lead Hawaii’s climate change mitigation and adaptation work at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, discusses some of the state’s recent initiatives. From Maryland, Department of Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles provides an overview of what the state is currently doing to address the climate crisis. This critical and candid conversation dives into what three states are currently working on, and what the future may hold.
11.12.2019
How Carbon Pricing Can Further Environmental Justice
A new report released by CXC offers a carbon pricing policy framework that contextualizes the potential role it can play in a just transition to a regenerative, sustainable, and equitable economy. If carbon pricing is to be a central component of climate policy moving forward, it must not only reduce GHG emissions, but also embrace deep overlapping connections with major social and environmental justice issues of our time.
So how exactly can carbon pricing programs improve public health, sustainable development, economic mobility, resilience, and political self-determination in the communities that need it most?
Our webinar features Veronica Eady of California’s Air Resources Board (CARB), Eleanor Fort of Green for All, as well as lead author Jonah Kurman-Faber of Climate XChange discussing the report and what we can learn from California’s experience on cap-and-trade and environmental justice.
10.29.2019
What the Transportation and Climate Initiative Means for State Climate Policy
Since 2017, transportation has become the leading source of greenhouse gas pollution across all US sectors. Meanwhile, Americans suffer from ever-increasing traffic congestion, infrastructural decay, and major deficiencies in how we move people and goods around. The next decade will require bold and rapid solutions to transform the sector, both for the sake of our climate and our daily livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional cap-and-invest program for transportation emissions, has emerged as one of the most promising new programs to tackle both GHG emissions and transportation woes in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. However, the effectiveness of the program will depend on how it is designed and implemented in the coming year.
What exactly is TCI? What does the program mean for climate and transportation policy in the region? What role will the pivotal relationship between transportation and climate play in the coming decade to substantially reduce emissions by 2030?
Chris Dempsey of Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA), Lindsey Mendelson of the Sierra Club, Jordan Stutt of Acadia Center, and Jonah Kurman-Faber of Climate XChange answer and discuss these questions.
09.19.2019
Why Businesses are Backing Carbon Pricing
Earlier this year, top business leaders from across the country — representing more than 2.8 million employees globally — lobbied Capitol Hill to put a price on carbon pollution. It was one of many indications that businesses, big and small, are beginning to recognize that an economy-wide price on carbon is the most efficient and cost-effective tool to achieve necessary emissions reductions. It is also a policy that can generate needed revenue for investments in green infrastructure, clean tech innovation, and ease the transition into the low-carbon economy of the future.
Why is business engagement essential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions? How can advocates, business leaders, and policymakers work together to pass bold climate solutions? How can we elevate the voices of businesses to become leaders in the carbon pricing conversation? Our webinar answers these questions with our guests, leaders from The World Bank and The International Emissions Trading Association.
06.19.2019
A Federal Price on Carbon
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is a federal proposal to put a $15 fee on every ton of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere (that increases by $10 each year) and rebate all revenue back to Americans. Backed by the grassroots environmental group Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), the bill has gained bipartisan support and more than 40 cosponsors in Congress. Joining to discuss this policy are Adele Morris, Senior Fellow and Policy Director of the Climate and Energy Economics Project at the Brookings Institution, and Daniel Richter, CCL’s Vice President of Government Affairs. The conversation will be hosted by Noa Dalzell, coordinator of the State Carbon Pricing Network.
05.08.2019
The Role of Carbon Pricing in a Just Transition
Communities, particularly those at the intersection of different forms of marginalization and oppression, are shouldering the burdens of climate change and environmental pollution of all kinds. By putting a price on carbon emissions, we are able to shift that burden back to the polluters, who are responsible, and ensure our communities are better served through much-needed investments. Ensuring however, that policy design is intentional and deliberate in taking an equity lens seriously will require work. The webinar features our very own Maria Virginia Olano, host of the Cooler Earth podcast and Michelle Romero, the National Director of Green For All.
04.02.2019
The Case for Conservative Carbon Pricing
Fighting climate change is something that cannot be put on hold, even in an era of extreme partisan gridlock, so how can we better engage people on all sides of the political spectrum?Join us for a webinar on the best practices for bipartisan engagement on the issue of carbon pricing. Featured guests include Alex Bozmoski from RepublicEn, Nader Sobhani from Niskanen Center, and Josiah Neeley from R-Street Institute. All three represent right-leaning think tanks that support carbon pricing, and are eager to share their insight on bipartisan engagement with the carbon pricing community.
03.05.2019
A Conversation on the Green New Deal
The Green New Deal, a suite of economic stimulus programs aiming to address climate change in an equitable way, has been dominating news headlines since its introduction last month. But what does it all really mean? Can this legislation actually pass? How does the GND affect ongoing carbon pricing efforts, and most importantly- the future of our planet? Featuring Evan Weber, the political director of the Sunrise Movement, and David Roberts, the renowned Vox climate change writer. Weber’s Sunrise Movement, a youth grassroots organization, has been leading the charge for strong climate action, and Roberts’ articles break down environmental policy with unprecedented clarity.
02.08.2019
What can we learn from Washington State?
In November, voters in Washington State rejected a ballot initiative that aimed to put a fee on carbon pollution, their second time doing so in as many years. The loss sparked some concern within the environmental community that carbon pricing at the state level just won’t work. But we disagree. Enjoy this debrief on the I-1631 campaign, featuring Beckey Kelley from the Washington Environmental Council, Stephanie Williams from The Nature Conservancy and Greg Rock from Carbon Washington. All three have worked closely on carbon pricing initiatives in Washington State.