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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population — today announced that New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham have been appointed co-chairs of the Alliance. Together with Washington Governor and founding member Jay Inslee, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, they will serve on the Alliance’s executive committee charged with overseeing the strategic direction of the coalition.
“We are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and the last generation with a shot at solving it,” said Alliance co-chair New York Governor Hochul. “From our nation-leading offshore wind portfolio to our transformative work to curb building emissions, New York is working every day to tackle the climate crisis head-on. Alongside Governor Lujan Grisham and our colleagues from across the nation, I’m committed to ensuring the U.S. Climate Alliance remains on the front lines of this fight.”
“Climate change poses an existential threat to our planet, but working together we can meet this challenge, sustain our communities, and grow our economies,” said Alliance co-chair New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham. “In New Mexico, we’re transitioning from coal to clean energy, slashing methane emissions, attracting new clean industries and creating great jobs across the state. Governor Hochul and I will lead the U.S. Climate Alliance in a collaborative way that encourages governors to share best practices and build more resilient, vibrant, and sustainable communities from coast to coast.”
For the first time, the Alliance will be led by two women co-chairs — Governors Hochul and Lujan Grisham — and with the addition of Governor Evers, the executive committee has its first governor from the Midwest.
“The climate crisis has taken an undeniable toll on folks and communities in every corner of the country, including here in Wisconsin. No matter where they live, every Wisconsinite has experienced the effects of climate change — from air and drinking water pollution to extreme weather events to unpredictable growing seasons,” said Alliance executive committee member Wisconsin Governor Evers. “I was proud to join the U.S. Climate Alliance back in 2019, and today, I’m glad to be joining the leadership team. I can’t wait to get to work building on our momentum to achieve our collective climate goals, protect our natural environment, create family-supporting jobs in a clean energy economy, and ensure a better future for our kids across our country.”
The Alliance’s leaders were elected by the coalition’s members and will serve in these roles until the Alliance’s semiannual meeting next spring. Last May marked the first expansion of the coalition’s leadership to include non-founding-state members.
“We’re deeply grateful for everything Governors Mills and Inslee have done over the past year to advance the Alliance’s work and we know with Governors Hochul and Lujan Grisham at the helm, the future is bright,” said U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Casey Katims. “We’re also thrilled to welcome Governor Evers to our leadership team — the first executive committee member from the Midwest — and know his perspective, insight, and experience will make our coalition even stronger.”
Today’s announcement comes as top officials from the Alliance’s states and territories conclude a week in Washington, D.C. for the coalition’s semiannual spring meeting. Earlier today, these officials joined a White House federal-state convening focused on creating good-paying jobs and mobilizing a diverse workforce in climate and clean energy. This builds on past convenings with the White House to advance state and federal efforts to decarbonize buildings and expand the procurement and use of low-carbon construction materials.
Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, at least 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. While reducing collective greenhouse gas emissions by 19%, Alliance members increased their collective GDP by 30%. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.
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