Report Reveals: Only half of top climate policies underway, more action needed

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Hartford – As the science supporting global warming moves beyond dispute and Congress begins to consider global warming regulations, increased scrutiny is on the successes and failures of climate action in the states. Today, on the second anniversary of the state's climate plan, the Connecticut Climate Coalition released a new report assessing Connecticut's progress. A Climate For Action reveals that of the 55 policies in the state's climate action plan, 14 account for a full 90% of the total emissions reductions. But of those top 14, only six are currently being implemented. Without further action, the state's emissions are estimated to be between 6.4% and 10.7% above 1990 in 2010, missing the legal mandate of returning to 1990 emission levels. With only three years before this deadline, Connecticut is losing ground at the time when its successes are most needed to propel stronger Federal policies.

"Connecticut has the opportunity to hasten good Federal global warming policies, but only if we follow through and take action," explained Roger Smith, report co-author and Connecticut Climate Coalition coordinator. "Programs to increase energy efficiency for heating and electricity, reduce heat-trapping diesel soot and aggressively invest in renewable energy could each set national precedents and force opponents to explain why programs that work in Connecticut couldn't work in other states."

Fast-Tracking the Top 14 policies

A number of top policies in the climate plan are before the legislature this session with the opportunity to:

• Address high energy costs through energy efficiency. End the raid on the CT Energy Efficiency Fund and greatly increase investments in cost-saving efficiency programs for electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil.
• Reduce "black carbon" diesel emissions by retrofitting public vehicles including school buses, state construction equipment, and public transit buses
• Restore the Clean Energy Fund to previous spending levels
• Fund mass transit expansion and implement other "smart growth" policies
• Achieve the state's solid waste goal through expanded recycling and source reduction

Improving the CT Climate Change Action Plan

"If all the policies in Connecticut's action plan were implemented fully, the state would meet its reduction targets. But implementation is far from certain for several key policies, and the plan does not drive implementation as it fails to prioritize policies based on the amount of emissions they will reduce. In addition, the plan double-counts some of the reductions from the electricity sector," said Smith.

To address these problems, the climate plan needs to be updated and improved in an ongoing way with public input. An ongoing planning process would enable Connecticut to learn from successes in other states and take advantage of better and cheaper ways to reduce emissions.

"Connecticut should consider promising policies, including auctioning emissions allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and reinvesting the proceeds to help consumers with energy efficiency, requiring electric and gas utilities to prioritize
'least-cost' energy efficiency spending over expensive new supply, and implementing mileage-based auto insurance to encourage drivers to save money by driving less," said report co-author Marc Breslow. "In addition, new policies are needed in transportation, such as providing incentives for purchasers of high-efficiency autos, as mentioned in the governor's Energy Vision," Breslow continued.

Connecticut: Small State, National Leader

Connecticut has played a leading role in the national debate on global warming. In 2001, after President Bush withdrew the U.S. from the international Kyoto Protocol, the New England Governors, along with the Eastern Canadian Premiers, signed a regional agreement to reduce pollution levels to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2010 and eventually 75-85%. In Connecticut, these reduction goals became law under Public Act 04-252 and Connecticut released its climate plan on February 15, 2005. Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont have also crafted and begun to implement plans to reduce global warming pollution, and planning is expected to begin in New Hampshire. New England's efforts helped prompt recent commitments by California's governor and legislature to create a mandatory climate cap for California.

Implementation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative moving forward

Thursday at DEP, stakeholders are meeting regarding the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to reduce CO2 10% by 2019 from northeastern power plants. Federal observers are closely watching RGGI to see if generators will be required to pay for pollution permits, with the revenue directed to help consumers through cost-saving energy efficiency and clean energy investments, and this is one of the topics of discussion at today's meeting. After the governors of Massachusetts and Rhode Island bowed to industry pressure and withdrew from this program in December 2005, Governor Rell's steadfast support helped keep the entire initiative alive. Massachusetts and Rhode Island rejoined the program earlier this year and the program is set to begin in 2009.

Web Resources:

Connecticut Climate Coalition website

Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan online

The Connecticut Climate Coalition is an alliance of 90 diverse organizations working since 2002 to mitigate the impacts of global warming by supporting action at the state and regional level.

Get the report

Executive Summary (884 kb)

Complete report (2.8 MB)