The United States, long considered a laggard in addressing global warming, is poised to achieve large reductions in global warming pollution thanks to clean energy policies adopted over the past decade by state governments, according to a new report by the Environment America Research & Policy Center.
“While there’s no doubt that Congress must pass a comprehensive climate bill, our research shows that the states have delivered a down payment on the pollution reductions,” said Environment Illinois Staff Attorney and Clean Energy Advocate Brian Granahan.
The new report, America on the Move, released just days before world leaders convene in Copenhagen to negotiate an international agreement on global warming, found that state policies will reduce global warming pollution by approximately 536 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year by 2020 compared to business as usual.
The emission reductions are significant.
They represent:
- More global warming pollution than is currently emitted annually by all but eight of the world’s nations;
- Approximately 7 percent of U.S. global warming pollution in 2007;
- Annual emissions from 104 million cars — about 42 percent of the nation’s motor vehicles;
- Annual emissions from 163 coal-fired power plants.
“America’s clean energy revolution – led by the states – shows that the nation is ready to tackle the challenge of global warming,” said Granahan.
“President Obama should take the next step by working to forge a strong agreement to address global warming during the international negotiations in Copenhagen,” Granahan added.
America on the Move reviewed more than 100 policies adopted by states, most of them enacted over the past decade, and estimated the emission reductions that will result from those actions.
For example, while the U.S. Congress has yet to adopt a binding national limit on global warming pollution, six U.S. states – California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey – have adopted such limits.
Collectively, these six states have committed to reducing global warming pollution by approximately 13 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Including a regional cap on power plant emissions adopted by 10 northeastern states, mandatory emission caps will reduce U.S. emissions by approximately 270 million metric tons per year by 2020 – a level of carbon dioxide pollution comparable to that produced annually by the Netherlands or Turkey.
According to the report, additional reductions will result from a variety of clean energy policies adopted by multiple states, including renewable electricity standards adopted by 29 states, energy efficiency resource standards adopted by 22 states, and a variety of other policies.
In particular, Illinois has been a success story. Illinois’s renewable energy standards, energy efficiency portfolio standards for utilities, and energy efficient building codes are among the nation’s strongest.
Collectively, these and other recently-passed laws cause Illinois to rank 3rd among all 50 states in global warming pollution avoided from state laws.
“To preserve our environment for future generations and help create ‘green’ jobs now, Illinois has made a serious commitment to investing in green infrastructure and renewable energy technologies. We’ve made significant progress but there’s much more to be done,” said Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
“I applaud Environment Illinois for its hard work and for keeping this critical issue at the forefront of environmental public policy debates.”
Since President Obama’s inauguration in January, the federal government has implemented several policies initiated by the states nationwide – including limits on vehicle global warming pollution adopted by California and 13 other states, and debated by the Illinois General Assembly from 2007 to 2009.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress in February, also supports a variety of state and local programs to save energy and reduce global warming pollution.
Environment Illinois urged the federal government to require reductions in global warming pollution in the United States consistent with the reductions science tells us are necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming – specifically, emission reductions of 35 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and at least 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, with the vast majority of those reductions to occur domestically.
It also encouraged the federal government to implement the best clean energy policies in place at the state level, and urged states to continue to take leadership in adopting and implementing policies to reduce global warming pollution.
“States have been called America’s ‘laboratories of democracy,’” said Granahan.
“By taking strong action to address global warming, states like Illinois are showing the nation – and the world – that a clean energy future is within our reach,” he concluded.
