EDF: States could cut U.S. “emissions gap” in half by 2030
A new report has found that if climate leadership states meet their emissions targets, they could bring the country closer to national climate goals.
The report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) analyzed data from Rhodium Group’s U.S. Climate Service and projected reductions from the Inflation Reduction Act. What it found was that states with climate commitments can shrink the country’s remaining emissions gap by 43 percent if they adopt ambitious and comprehensive policy to limit pollution at scale.
Currently, EDF said, climate leadership states are projected to reduce net emissions 20 to 23 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and 27 to 39 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, well short of their commitments to reach 26 percent reduction by 2025 and 50 percent reduction by 2030.
“States have a leading role to play in driving U.S. climate progress, and our country is counting on them to deliver on their promises,” said Pam Kiely, Associate Vice President for U.S. Climate at Environmental Defense Fund. “There’s never been a better time for states to use the sharpest tools they have available—policies that directly limit climate pollution from major emissions sources—to ensure they will deliver on their commitments. Federal investments have made clean energy cheaper than ever before, giving governors a multi-billion-dollar opportunity to raise their climate ambition. Going further, faster to achieve their own goals can help realize the promise of our federal climate law and shrink the gap to our nation’s 2030 commitment.”
The report looked at states that have committed to reduce their emission in line with U.S. goals – by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, and 50 to 52 percent by 2030. The 23 states and Puerto Rico represent 41 percent of total U.S. emissions. So far, only 10 of those states have established mandatory economy-wide climate targets via legislation, EDF said.
Without further policy action, EDF said, those climate leadership states are projected to emit 28 percent more climate pollution between 2020 and 2030 – overshooting the emissions “budget” by over 5 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
“Many states are already living the reality of climate change-fueled impacts, whether their communities are sheltering from wildfire smoke, sweltering in heat waves or dealing with damages from historic flooding,” Kiely. “When the stakes are this high and the timeline is so urgent, every ton of heat-trapping pollution we emit matters. States can’t afford to kick policy down the road. They have committed to do their part to curb pollution as swiftly as possible this decade, and they have a responsibility to follow through and get on track.”
To meet climate goals, state leaders need to set binding targets that achieve early reductions; use existing authority to limit pollution; establish a declining, enforceable limit on emissions; pair pollution limits with policies that encourage the use of clean technologies; and ensure environmental and economic benefits are directed to disproportionately-impacted communities.
