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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population — today welcomed the Biden-Harris Administration’s launch of the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership and committed resources to expand collaboration and advance states’ procurement and use of low-carbon construction materials.
“With this Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership, Alliance states are once again joining forces to move markets and build a cleaner, greener future across America,” said U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Casey Katims.
The 12 Alliance states that joined the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership today include: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington*. Together, these states have committed to prioritize efforts that support the procurement of lower-carbon infrastructure materials in state-funded projects, and to collaborate with the federal government, and one another, to send a harmonized demand signal to the marketplace. As part of this initiative, the Alliance will provide policy, technical, and analytical assistance to help participating members advance state-level Buy Clean efforts.
“As American workers put steel in the ground and pour the foundation for a new, clean energy economy, we have to make sure that future is built with low-carbon materials made in America,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “These states are showing true leadership on the climate crisis. By committing to Buy Clean, we can leverage the tremendous purchasing power of government so that American manufacturing competes and leads, creating good jobs, and revitalizing communities across the country.”
Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative and a White House convening with top officials from Alliance states last October to explore opportunities to partner on Buy Clean efforts.
To learn more about the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership, see the White House’s Fact Sheet.
*NOTE: Minnesota joined the Partnership in June 2023.
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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