We now know it’s official – 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded. Citizens across the globe felt the impacts long before it was confirmed. There were unprecedented wildfires in Canada that turned the New York sky orange. Phoenix saw a record-breaking 31 consecutive days with temperatures topping 110 degrees. Along with these very immediate […]

The clock is ticking to halt and reverse deforestation so that we avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The good news is that companies can provide the finance needed to keep the world's forests standing by purchasing high-quality emissions reductions credits from large-scale tropical forest conservation programs, otherwise known as jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+). 

During COP28, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued proposed guidance applicable to voluntary carbon credit (VCC) derivative contracts listed on designated contract markets (DCMs). DCMs are self-regulating exchanges that operate under the oversight of the CFTC. By law, they must take measures to protect market participants from abusive practices, promote fair and equitable trading, […]

(This post was co-authored by EDF Climate Risk Attorney Elle Stephens) Disasters that are fueled by climate change, like fires, floods, and hurricanes, increasingly pose risks to the U.S. financial system, including the derivatives market. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates the derivatives market and is now considering updates to its risk management […]

In October, the White House announced the selection of seven Hydrogen Hubs around the U.S. to be a part of the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program (H2Hubs), which will deploy $7 billion toward projects over eight to twelve years (or sooner). Launched under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Hydrogen Hubs program […]

As a major next step in achieving New York’s climate targets, Governor Hochul and state agency officials are developing rules for a cap-and-invest program. A bold and equitable program would aggressively cut climate pollution, while supporting and investing in clean and healthy communities around the state. This rulemaking could be game-changing for New York — […]

Results were released today for Washington’s fourth quarterly cap-and-invest auction, which was held on December 6th. The results from this sold-out auction show continued strong demand for allowances in the program, which has brought in substantial revenue for the state of Washington to reinvest in its communities. This is the final auction of 2023, marking […]

In the last few years, North Carolinians have seen eye-popping electricity bills. Bill increase after bill increase has compounded, resulting in 20+ percent higher monthly bills for most ratepayers in our state. The main driver? The volatile cost of natural gas, which accounts for a larger and larger portion of the energy mix that North […]

(This post was written by EDF interns Cyera Charles and Remeny White) Across the U.S. states are passing laws that will ensure greater equity as we transition to a clean energy system. EDF has developed an interactive map – based on our new report, the State Climate Equity Survey – that documents states’ efforts to […]

This blog was authored by Holly Pearen, Lead Counsel for People & Nature at the Environmental Defense Fund. Proposed Guidance from Financial Market Regulators Could Improve Integrity and Transparency in the Voluntary Carbon Market Many of the world’s largest companies have committed to net zero, and high-quality carbon credits are increasingly seen as a key tool […]

This blog was co-authored by Britta Johnston, Senior Policy Analyst for Natural Climate Solutions at EDF. Heading into COP28, nature as a climate solution has been making headlines, and rightfully so. Sustainably conserving, restoring, and managing the world’s ecosystems is one of the most powerful tools we have to meet global climate goals. A recent […]

The U.S. government recently released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive report that shows the harmful impacts of extreme weather and other climate hazards are increasing for people across the United States. The Fifth National Climate Assessment confirms messages in previous reports but brings the details into sharper focus for U.S. regions. Climate change is increasingly […]

This blog was authored by Pedro Martins Barata, AVP for Carbon Markets and Private Sector Decarbonization at the Environmental Defense Fund. Since the Glasgow COP two years ago, there have been growing expectations to transform the market-based cooperation approaches outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement into practical, effective actions for reducing global emissions. […]

Since the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) began well over a decade ago, this group of Eastern states has successfully slashed climate pollution from power plants in half, generated substantial health benefits and raised $3 billion in proceeds that have been invested back into states. Now this program, which puts a declining cap on power […]

Today, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) released the results from Washington’s second Allowance Price Containment Reserve (APCR) auction, held on November 8th. At this auction, all 5 million available APCR allowances were sold at the Tier 1 price of $51.90. This auction, along with three previous sold-out cap-and-invest auctions, continues to show strong […]

This year, California marked the 10th anniversary of its landmark cap-and-trade program, and the Golden State has good reason to celebrate: California saw reduced year-on-year emissions from nearly every sector covered by the program. On top of delivering on critical emissions reductions, cap-and-trade has generated revenue resulting in $9.3 billion implemented through California Climate Investments […]

(This post was co-authored by EDF Senior Climate Scientist Ilissa Ocko) Hurricanes are complicated, and their characteristics depend on a number of factors, which makes it difficult to tease out certain trends and predict the future. But what is scientifically clear is that human-caused climate change is a key reason that hurricanes are more destructive […]

Voluntary carbon markets are a source of much-needed finance to help the agriculture sector realize its potential for climate mitigation. Still, carbon credit buyers face challenges in differentiating carbon credits that represent real and verifiable climate impact, based on the latest science and best practices in a crowded marketplace. It takes due diligence to get […]

At Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week, the region’s leaders and climate stakeholders will have the opportunity to collaborate and advance discussions on climate policies that address multiple issues for both mitigation and adaptation. Climate financing, both from rich countries and the private sector, will need to be scaled up for solutions to work.

This blog was co-authored with Erik Kamrath, Hydrogen Advocate, Climate and Clean Energy at NRDC and Pete Budden, Advocate, Climate and Clean Energy at NRDC.  After much anticipation, President Biden and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced on October 13th the winners of the DOE hydrogen hub (H2Hub) program — a program intended to leverage […]