The U.S. Climate Alliance in the news.
Tags
2025 In The News Industry

Colorado Sun: Colorado air quality protections cut greenhouse gases by 70%, new study from environmental group shows

December 22, 2025
The Colorado Sun covers how years of stakeholder collaboration helped the state slash dangerous methane emissions from oil and gas production.
“State oil and gas regulations meant to cut leaks of the highly damaging greenhouse gas methane slashed the unwanted emissions 70% after Colorado launched a series of first-in-the-nation compromises with the industry in the 2010s, says a new study by an environmental group.

Methane emissions from Colorado’s oil and gas production fell sharply from 2010 to 2017, according to the Environmental Defense Fund study. Researchers used data from the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, and the findings were backed by results from aircraft-based analysis in flights over the high oil production Denver-Julesburg Basin.

EDF advocates credit hard-fought collaborations among regulators, oil and gas trade groups and environmentalists beginning with 2014 legislation under then-Gov. John Hickenlooper. Another important methane law passed in 2017, and six more legislative compromises moved forward during Gov. Jared Polis’ administration, EDF officials said.”

About the Alliance

Launched in 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the U.S. federal government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28 percent by 2025, 50-52 percent by 2030, and 61-66 percent by 2035, all below 2005 levels, 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 advance innovative and impactful climate solutions to grow the economy, create jobs, and protect public health, and have a long record of action and results. In fact, the latest data shows that as of 2023, the Alliance has reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent below 2005 levels, while increasing collective GDP by 34 percent, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal of reducing collective greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. 

 

###