New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced her plans to join the U.S. Climate Alliance. She stated that “Today marks an important shift in direction on climate policy in New Mexico. We know all too well states cannot rely on the federal government right now to act responsibly and take the bold action scientists have made clear is needed to prevent calamitous climate change fallout in our lifetimes. It’s up to us. And I have full confidence our commitments today will launch our state toward a robust transformation, with results delivered by each state agency to make a cohesive, effective whole.”

The Alliance was formed in June 2017 in response to President Trump’s announced intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. By joining the Alliance, governors commit to:

• Implement policies that advance the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission by at least 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025
• Track and report progress to the global community in appropriate settings, including when the world convenes to take stock of the Paris Agreement, and
• Accelerate new and existing policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy deployment at the state and federal level.

With New Mexico as its newest member, the Alliance represents 44 percent of the U.S. population and a nearly $10 trillion economy.  The climate and clean energy policies of these states have created over 1.4 million renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs, equivalent to over half of all clean energy jobs in the United States.

In addition to joining the Alliance, Governor Lujan Grisham’s Executive Order also ordered:

• The creation of a New Mexico Climate Change Task Force, which will provide strategic direction for achieving a statewide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris goals.
• State agencies to work with key stakeholders and legislatures to increase New Mexico’s renewable portfolio standard and energy efficiency standards for electric utilities.
• State agencies to develop a statewide, enforceable regulatory framework to reduce methane emissions and prevent further waste from new and existing sources in the oil-and-gas sector.

U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Julie Cerqueira welcomed Governor Lujan Grisham’s announcement, noting, “Governor Lujan Grisham has set out a bold climate and energy agenda for New Mexico. Alliance states continue to demonstrate that climate action and economic growth go hand in hand, and we look forward to supporting her vision to make New Mexico a global clean energy leader.”

The Alliance was formed in June 2017 in response to President Trump’s announced intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. Each state commits to reducing their emissions in line with the U.S. target under Paris, and all have enacted new climate policy measures since joining the Alliance. In September, the Alliance announced a suite of new commitments, including the deployment of $1.4 billion to decarbonize transportation and take steps to protect natural and working lands as carbon sinks by 2020.