Menu
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf today announced his plans to join the U.S. Climate Alliance. He stated that “Pennsylvania is proud to join this bipartisan coalition of 24 governors, representing over half of the U.S. population to work to implement policies that uphold the commitments our nation made in the Paris Agreement. With the federal government turning its back on science and the environment, I am proud to join with states that are leading the way towards new climate solutions, and taking concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. States like Pennsylvania must take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our communities, economies, infrastructures, and environments from the risks of a warming climate.”
The Alliance was formed in June 2017 in response to President Trump’s announced intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. By joining the Alliance, governors commit to:
With Pennsylvania as its newest member, the Alliance represents 55 percent of the U.S. population, an $11.7 trillion economy, and 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The climate and clean energy policies of Alliance states have created over 1.7 million renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs, equivalent to over 60 percent of all clean energy jobs in the United States.
In addition to joining the Alliance, Governor Tom Wolf’s announcement also included the release of Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Plan, which identifies 100 specific actions across 19 strategies that will help achieve the Commonwealth’s adaptation goals and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Recommendations include sectoral strategies ranging from increasing end use energy efficiency and implementing sustainable transportation practices to using agricultural best practices and incorporating historical and projected climate conditions into siting and design decisions for long-term infrastructure, among many others.
U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Julie Cerqueira welcomed Governor Tom Wolf’s announcement, noting, “Governor Tom Wolf has made it clear he is ready to lead on climate action. Just last December, Pennsylvania joined a regional effort to address transportation emissions and in January, Governor Wolf established the commonwealth’s first greenhouse gas reduction target. We look forward to supporting the Governor’s wide range of climate priorities like promoting solar energy and decarbonizing its power grid while creating new, good jobs in the clean energy industry.”
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.
###
