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Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak today announced his plans to join the U.S. Climate Alliance. He stated that “I said in my State of the State address that I will not spend a single second debating the reality of climate change and its impact on our state. By joining the U.S. Climate Alliance, we are taking bold steps to ensure a better, healthier future for our children. With these ambitious goals and commitments to reduce our carbon footprint, I am determined to make Nevada part of the solution.”
By joining the Alliance, governors commit to:
With Nevada as its newest member, the Alliance represents over half (51 percent) of the U.S. population and an $11 trillion economy. The climate and clean energy policies of these states have created 1.6 million renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs, equivalent to over half of all clean energy jobs in the United States. The climate and clean energy policies Alliance states have put into place cover 36 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Julie Cerqueira welcomed Governor Sisolak’s announcement, noting, “Under Governor Sisolak’s leadership, Nevadans will not only benefit from access to affordable, clean energy but also from the investments and job creation an ambitious energy agenda will attract. His goal of achieving a minimum of 50% in renewable energy by 2030 is one of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the country. We welcome Governor Sisolak into the Alliance, where Nevada will be able to share its leadership, and benefit from the support of other Alliance states in helping to deliver a bold climate agenda.”
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.
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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