Tags
- In The News
- April 2023
Governor Inslee: Washington’s Climate Action a Source for Optimism This Earth Day
April 22, 2023
Alliance co-chair Governor Jay Inslee of Washington shares his reflections on Earth Day and Washington’s climate leadership.
“This is what makes Earth Day so important today. It highlights the policies and investments that will slash greenhouse gas emissions, produce renewable energy, clean the air in our most polluted communities, protect forests and wildlife, and stem the tide of climate change.
Washington state is a national and global leader in all these facets.
Earth Day has been rooted in Washington state since its founding in 1970, with Washingtonian Denis Hayes serving as its first national coordinator. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is a co-founder of the bipartisan state-led U.S. Climate Alliance, the international Ocean Acidification Alliance, and other groups led by states, provinces and cities taking action on climate even when national governments are slow to act.”
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.
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