Complete list of press releases

Today, a coalition of conservation groups across the Colorado River Basin jointly submitted the Cooperative Conservation Alternative to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to protect the nation’s most endangered river after current management guidelines expire in 2026. Recognizing the essential role that natural systems play in supporting the Basin, the Alternative proposes a comprehensive set of operational activities to help maintain the integrity of Basin ecosystems, while working to support resilient communities, Tribal nations, businesses and agriculture. 

The Alternative arrives on the heels of separate submissions from Upper Division (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico) and Lower Division states (California, Arizona, and Nevada),  both of which propose different options for managing the nation’s two largest reservoirs amid historic drought and worsening climate change. Current guidelines governing management of the Colorado River reservoir system have proven insufficient at preventing plummeting water levels from threatening the long-term water security of more than 35 million people.

The Alternative expands the range of options for BOR to consider. Recognizing a healthy Colorado River forms the foundation of the entire region, the Cooperative Conservation Alternative provides a roadmap for sustaining water supplies for people and ecosystems throughout the Colorado River Basin. Top priorities include: 

• Stabilizing water storage and avoiding crisis management,
• Making mitigation and environmental stewardship part of the future operations,
• Creating a Conservation Reserve to incentivize water conservation, stabilize the system, and protect river health,
• Preserving opportunities for Cienega de Santa Clara, Delta flows and River connectivity,
• Pursuing parallel resilience-building processes to adapt to changing conditions.

As part of their Cooperative Conservation Alternative, the joint groups stressed the importance of recognizing that reasonable compromises from all parties will be required to arrive at a meaningful path forward that secures the Basin’s resources for the benefit of both people and ecosystems. In the coming months, BOR will be evaluating the proposals to identify the reasonable range of alternatives it will analyze in a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), to be finalized later this year.

“Cooperative Conservation is a proposal to manage the Colorado River for multiple benefits — not just to deal with shortages — but also to maintain habitat for birds and wildlife, potentially allow Tribes to benefit from their water rights, and improve water supply reliability as climate change impacts continue to reduce the river,” said Jennifer Pitt, National Audubon Society’s Colorado River Program Director. “This is the kind of innovation we need to create certainty for the Colorado River for everyone and everything that depends on it.” 

“Over the last 17 years we have learned the hard way that we need rules and guidelines that are flexible and can adapt to the changing river conditions that impact all who depend on the Colorado River,” said Taylor Hawes, Colorado River Program director for The Nature Conservancy. “We must plan for the unexpected. Our proposal aims to incorporate more flexibility in the rules, avoid constant crisis management, and maintain the river’s health. While the Interim Guidelines are critical to managing the Colorado River, they are not enough on their own. We must also continue to work together outside of the Interim Guidelines process to ensure the sustainability and resilience of the Colorado River Basin and to develop a broader set of solutions that benefit people, nature and industry/agriculture throughout the Basin.”

“The Colorado River supports an important recreation economy, including unique hunting and fishing opportunities, which depend on healthy watersheds and the resilience of river flows,” says Alexander Funk, Director of Water Resources, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The Cooperative Conservation Alternative sets out a holistic approach to move beyond managing for immediate challenges, such as the existing hydrologic imbalance and declining water supplies, while also acknowledging the need to ensure new operational guidelines integrate opportunities for the stewardship of fish and wildlife and enhancing the overall resilience of the basin to climate change for both present and future generations.”

“We need a savings account to protect the river and ecosystems that sustain the West,” said John Berggren, Regional Policy Manager at Western Resource Advocates. “The  Cooperative Conservation Alternative creates a Conservation Reserve to do just that. The Reserve provides a framework for water to be conserved and moved throughout the Colorado River Basin – wherever it is needed most to protect river health and support system stability. This will maximize the environmental and community benefits of every drop we save.”

"The Colorado River is foundational to the American West's culture, economy, and environment," said Sara Porterfield, Western Water Policy Advisor at Trout Unlimited. "Cooperative Conservation provides innovative tools that can support the shift from managing crisis-to-crisis toward finding win-win solutions across sectors to safeguard the health of the Colorado River's ecosystems, economies, and communities."

“The innovative Cooperative Conservation Alternative broadens the conversation about future management of the Colorado River in the era of climate change, to be more inclusive of various interests, Tribes, and the environment,” says Sinjin Eberle, Southwest Communications Director with American Rivers. “Expanding the scope of how water is managed to encompass a more realistic view of all pressures on the River puts forth a new vision to sustain the Colorado River and build resilience for the communities and ecosystems that rely on it for generations to come.”  

“This proposal helps move the conversation from immediate shortages to long-term resilience,” said Kevin Moran, associate vice president at Environmental Defense Fund. “From critical wildlife habitat to historic Tribal lands to growing communities, the River is a lifeline for half a continent. It’s time our management paradigm accounted for all who depend on it. Cooperative Conservation will provide a degree of much-needed certainty for all users as we head deeper into an era of profound change.”

A comprehensive overview of the Cooperative Conservation proposal can be found here.

“Today the Environmental Protection Agency took another key step in our journey toward a future with less traffic pollution – a future that will deliver cleaner air for our children, healthier communities, and a safer climate.

“The EPA finalized climate pollution standards for new heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks, garbage trucks, and school buses. EPA estimates these standards will slash a billion tons of climate pollution and more than 50,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides. And these clean truck standards are just the latest in a long line of actions the Biden administration has taken to address our traffic pollution – from the widely heralded clean car standards announced last week, to limits on smog-forming pollution from big trucks, to support for state leadership in addressing pollution from new cars and trucks, to billions in funding for cleaner ports, clean school buses, and tax credits to help people and fleets buy the clean vehicles they want.

“Like last week’s clean car standards, the clean truck standards will be performance based and technology neutral – so manufacturers will not be required to make any particular type of trucks. And like the clean car standards before them, the clean truck standards are expected to help supercharge American manufacturing and job creation, especially in the growing market for electric vehicles. Sales of new electric big trucks are already rising and many of our biggest companies have announced they are investing heavily in them. Truck manufacturers and fleets are among the many groups that have said they support strong clean truck standards.

“It all adds up to significant progress in addressing the climate crisis and giving our children a brighter, safer, healthier future. That is critically important to me, as a mom. I am grateful to everyone who has helped move us this far in the right direction, and I look forward to working together as we continue toward our destination – a pollution-free future for all.”

            - Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund.

(Washington, D.C. – March 29, 2024) The Environmental Protection Agency today finalized standards that will slash climate and smog-forming pollution from new heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks, garbage trucks, and school buses in model years 2027 through 2032.

“Today the Environmental Protection Agency took another key step in our journey toward a future with less traffic pollution – a future that will deliver cleaner air for our children, healthier communities, and a safer climate,” said Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund.

EPA’s clean truck standards will cut one billion metric tons of climate pollution by 2055. They’ll also reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxides by 53,000 tons in 2055. And they’ll save our country money – $3.5 billion in average annual savings for fleets, $300 million in average annual health benefits and $13 billion in total annual societal benefits.

Like the clean car standards announced last week, EPA’s clean truck standards are performance based and technology neutral – so manufacturers will not be required to make any particular type of trucks. EDF analysis found that manufacturers could comply with the proposed standards without selling any additional zero-emission vehicles. However, sales and investments in electric heavy-duty trucks and buses are already growing fast and are expected to remain popular because they are cost-effective for manufacturers, fleets, and drivers.  

EDF analysis finds almost 13,000 electric heavy-duty trucks on the road today – about 10,000 of which were put on the road just last year, in 2023. Other research projects that more than 30% of all new heavy-duty trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada will be electric by early next decade.

Almost $14 billion in specific private investment in heavy-duty electric vehicle manufacturing, and an associated 24,000 jobs, have already been announced in the U.S.

EPA’s clean truck standards are the latest in a long line of actions the Biden administration has taken to address our traffic pollution – including last week’s clean car standards, limits on smog-forming pollution from big trucks, support for state leadership in addressing pollution from new cars and trucks, and billions in funding for cleaner ports, clean school buses, and tax credits to help people and fleets buy the clean vehicles they want.

“It all adds up to significant progress in addressing the climate crisis and giving our children a brighter, safer, healthier future,” said Leland. “That is critically important to me, as a mom. I am grateful to everyone who has helped move us this far in the right direction, and I look forward to working together as we continue toward our destination – a pollution-free future for all.”

"Joe Lieberman was fighting for climate action two decades ago, when it was barely on the national agenda. In 2003, he and John McCain forced a vote in the Senate on their bipartisan climate solutions bill – giving us a chance to deal with this issue before it became the crisis we face today. His strong, practical voice on environmental issues will be missed."

            - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

In response to the Biden administration releasing its final U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane waste rule, Environmental Defense Fund, The Wilderness Society, Earthjustice, Western Environmental Law Center, and Western Organization of Resource Councils released the following statements today. 

The final rules released today take steps to reduce waste from routine venting and flaring of gas at well sites. 

According to the Biden administration, oil and gas operators vented or flared approximately 150 billion cubic feet of methane in 2019 — or about $400 million of natural gas on federal and Tribal lands. That is enough natural gas to meet the needs of 2.1 million households, which is nearly as many households as in the states of New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming combined. If that gas were captured, it could generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue for states and tribes to fund education, infrastructure, and health services. 

“Strong Interior Department methane waste rules are integral for the United States to protect taxpayers from wasted energy resources,” said Jon Goldstein, Senior Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, EDF. “Taking action to limit methane waste on public lands offers a win-win-win for taxpayers, producers and communities harmed by this waste and associated pollution.”

The waste of natural gas through venting and flaring on federal and Tribal lands has been a persistent problem for decades. 

“Methane from oil and gas development on public lands harms communities, invaluable natural resources, and the climate,” said Ben Tettlebaum, Director and Senior Staff Attorney at The Wilderness Society. “This rule takes steps to reduce methane waste from venting and flaring, which not only makes good economic sense, but also has conservation and climate benefits.”

“When oil and gas operators leak, vent or flare methane, taxpayers and communities suffer,” said Robin Cooley, Deputy Managing Attorney, Rocky Mountain Office, Earthjustice. “BLM has a critical role to play in reducing oil and gas waste. Along with EPA’s new rules to control methane pollution, it is vital for these federal agencies to swiftly implement and enforce rules to protect all Americans.” 

Venting and flaring emit not only methane but also harmful pollutants including ozone- or smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous pollutants that have serious public health impacts on communities living in basins with oil and gas production or in proximity to federally-owned or Tribal minerals.

“Eliminating waste from routine venting and flaring of associated gas conserves domestic energy resources, ensures taxpayers benefit from the development of publicly-owned minerals, lessens oil and gas production’s negative impact on the climate, and protects the health of frontline communities,” said Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, executive director of the Western Environmental Law Center. “The health risks increase the closer people live, work, and go to school near oil and gas facilities – it’s crucial federal agencies move forward on strong implementation and enforcement of these new rules.”

The impact of wasted methane extends beyond economic concerns. Tribal communities in North Dakota are particularly affected by methane waste, suffering not just from economic harm but disproportionate health impacts from venting and flaring. Representative Lisa Finley-DeVille (ND4a) co-founder and VP of Fort Berthold POWER, Western Organization of Resource Councils member and Dakota Resource Council board member said. “The BLM waste rule addresses the royalties lost from unfettered oil and gas production, but for my community on Fort Berthold Reservation, the fact that routine venting and flaring from existing and new wells is not eliminated means the continued waste of tribal resources. Not only do we lose out on revenue through royalties and taxes but we also have to pay the higher costs of healthcare due to exposure to the wasted gas. ”

BLM has authority and a legal responsibility to eliminate the waste of public resources. Reducing methane waste protects taxpayer resources, supports local economies and has important co-benefits such as reducing climate pollution and protecting public health.  

In December 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized tougher clean air standards that, for the first time, establish protective limits on methane pollution from both new and existing oil and gas sources, including efforts to limit flaring from newly drilled wells.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for regulating global shipping, today concluded the 81^st meeting of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81). Negotiations between Member States focused on a package of mid-term measures – including a global fuel standard and a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism – to decarbonize the shipping industry in line with the Paris Agreement. The next six months will be crucial for country delegates, as they will now work according to the IMO Net-Zero Framework to sort out the details for each measure. These measures must be adopted in 2025 and are to come into effect in 2027.

“We are encouraged to see progress toward climate proofing global trade. With growing support for a universal greenhouse gas price, country delegates at the International Maritime Organization must now develop the right policy details to incentivize shipping decarbonization. This, combined with a fuel standard that accounts for the full lifecycle of marine fuels and a way to accelerate investment in cleaner fuels and technologies, will ensure the success of a just and equitable transition for the industry.”

• Panos Spiliotis, EU Transport Senior Manager, Global Shipping and IMO delegation lead at Environmental Defense Fund.

As a consultative member of the IMO, Environmental Defense Fund is committed to making the Organization’s short-term and mid-term measures a success to decarbonize shipping. Our work centers on bringing scientific knowledge and research to advance international collaboration and ensure a just and equitable transition, while supporting a thriving shipping sector. By bringing relevant scientific knowledge and research to IMO, serving as a trusted advisor to Member States and working with industry partners, EDF strives to ensure policies and projects appropriately protect the climate, human health and the environment.

(RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – March 21, 2024) - Yesterday, Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation announced it will award $53.9 million to 33 localities and regional governments through the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). These awards will build local governments’ capacity to plan and implement natural infrastructure and other flood mitigation solutions in communities ranging from Pennington Gap to Hampton.  

Notably, Chesapeake will receive $7 million to acquire properties at risk, relocate public utilities and elevate a critical transportation pathway to reduce local flood risk. Also, the City of Roanoke will receive $3.2 million for stream and floodplain restoration and a downtown drainage improvement project.  

Despite high levels of demand, the future of the CFPF is unclear after Governor Youngkin illegally removed Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2023. The initiative is the CFPF’s sole source of dedicated revenue, generating more than $379 million and supporting 150 flood resilience plans, studies and projects since 2021.  

“Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) appreciates the Commonwealth’s continued investments in flood resilience for at-risk communities through the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF), which enables critical resilience planning and project development that many communities would not be able to implement otherwise. Virginia’s coastal and inland communities desperately need sustained, long-term funding to address the flood risks that are already impacting our lives and livelihoods. 

EDF supports the General Assembly’s budget language that reaffirms Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as required by law, as well as the proposed $100 million appropriation to the CFPF to ensure resources will support a resilient future for the Commonwealth.” 

-Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund  

Background:  

• The CFPF prioritizes funding for natural infrastructure and more than 60% of funds have been awarded to low-income geographic areas. 
• In addition to natural infrastructure projects in Roanoke and Chesapeake, Virginia Beach will receive $5 million for a marsh terrace and restoration project in Back Bay and the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission will receive $1.7 million for a living shoreline along Aberdeen Creek. 
• Several localities in southwest Virginia are receiving CFPF awards for the first time, including Abingdon, Galax and Pennington Gap. 

A new peer-reviewed study by 27 authors from 11 institutions, including the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Columbia University, finds that four nature-based climate solutions have robust scientific foundations, while others need urgent additional research before their role as a climate solution is understood. The study explicitly looked at the scientific basis of, and expert confidence in, solutions for climate benefit, not the implementation of individual projects, carbon crediting methodologies or co-benefits. 

The research finds that four pathways – tropical forest conservation; temperate forest conservation; tropical forest reforestation; and temperate forest reforestation – have the greatest certainty in carbon mitigation potential. However, it also showed that other types of stewardship actions, such as avoided seabed disturbance, have uncertainties at global scales and require further research. In some cases, market-based activities are pushing the boundaries of these uncertainties: 77 percent of the pathways with higher global uncertainties have protocols developed, and 62 percent have market activity. 

Positively, the majority of investment is in high credibility stewardship action solutions; 70 percent of nature-based credits that come from American Carbon Registry (ACR), Climate Action Reserve (CAR), Gold Standard and Verra (VCS) are for projects in the four forest-based activities. 

The study examined the existing scientific foundations underlying the climate warming mitigation potential of 43 nature-based climate solutions, then sought independent expert judgment on their certainty. 

Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund and co-author said, “Nature-based climate solutions are critical for meeting our climate goals. This study reaffirms the strength of the science underlying four major types of nature-based solutions and emphasizes the need to engage in additional research to clarify the mitigation potential of others.” 

Peter Ellis, Global Director of Natural Climate Solutions Science at The Nature Conservancy and co-author said, “Science is about bringing intelligence to action. That is exactly what we do in this paper: review the best available information to determine which nature-based climate solutions are ready for primetime.” 

Ruth DeFries, Denning Family Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University and co-author said, “The urgency for climate mitigation demands approaches based on sound science that can deliver effective action. The study is a call for ensuring that nature-based climate solutions focus on those actions that can deliver true mitigation, while continuing to develop the technical and scientific foundation for other types of nature-based actions.”   

Quotes from other co-authors: 

Ann Barutska, Senior Advisor at Resources for the Future, Senior Contributing Scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund and co-author said, “There is a clear need to have robust and reliable nature-based climate solution pathways as part of our climate change strategy. This work provides a clear roadmap to supporting the best options now while also guiding research towards key emerging solutions and pathways, such that we can confidently utilize and build on those in the future.” 

M. Granger Morgan, Hammerschlag University Professor of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University and co-author said, “Because it is urgent that we reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide rapidly, we cannot afford to be putting resources into nature-based strategies that may not work. This paper clearly identifies strategies that do work, as well as many others that should be avoided until they are robustly validated with further research.” 

(SACRAMENTO — March 20, 2024) Today, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on behalf of the state of California, the Government of Quebec, and the Department of Ecology representing the state of Washington issued a joint statement expressing their shared interest in the potential creation of a linked carbon market among the three jurisdictions. This is an important step toward formally linking carbon markets, which could result in a jointly operated system in which all participating jurisdictions pool their emission allowances and conduct shared auctions. California and Quebec have been successfully operating a joint carbon market, the Western Climate Initiative, for 10 years.

“Linking California’s, Quebec’s and Washington’s carbon markets would enable deeper and faster cuts in climate pollution while creating a more stable, predictable market for all,” said Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “Three major climate leaders joining forces would create a huge momentum boost for climate action.

“Climate change impacts do not stop at borders. As we confront more and more damaging consequences from climate change, it’s imperative that state and sub-national leaders work together on bold solutions. California and Quebec’s decade-long carbon market has proven that collaboration can accelerate cuts in climate pollution and drive up clean energy investment. With the emission cap in this joint carbon market as a backstop, California has seen its emissions fall in nearly every economic sector and delivered over $9 billion in investments for communities around the state.

“Cap-and-trade has long been the backbone of California’s suite of climate policies, and the state has a history of sharing its policy innovations beyond its borders for greater impact. This step from California, Quebec and Washington is once again showcasing the value of working together and setting an example for other states. These leaders’ commitment to ensuring a just and equitable energy transition that benefits communities bearing the greatest pollution burdens is essential — and it must be a priority as they move forward with any program adjustments or updates to regulations in each jurisdiction.”

Next steps

• Washington’s legislature recently passed a bill that makes small changes to the state’s cap-and-invest program to more closely align it with California and Quebec’s systems. Governor Inslee, who championed the state’s cap-and-invest law when it passed in 2021, is expected to sign the bill later this month.
• California and Quebec each have their own processes for formally deciding to pursue linkage, and if an agreement is reached to link, then each jurisdiction would update their regulations accordingly. In a linked market, all three jurisdictions would retain authority over their own programs, but would host joint auctions and share the same allowance price.  

If you'd like to learn more, read our blogs on the benefits of linking carbon markets and how to align California-Quebec's carbon market with Washington's market.

“This is a day to celebrate American achievement. The step EPA is taking today will slash climate pollution and air pollution. It will bring more jobs for workers, more choices and more savings for consumers, and a healthier future for our children.  

“The U.S. has leapt forward in the global race to invest in clean vehicles, with $188 billion and nearly 200,000 jobs on the way. Jobs in communities across the country, in places like Michigan, Nevada, and Kentucky. These clean car standards will help supercharge economic expansion and make America stronger. Ask the Air Force veteran who wants a powerful car that doesn’t run on foreign oil. Ask the third-generation auto dealer in Michigan who wants to be able to sell made-in-America clean cars. Ask my 76-year-old parents, who drive a clean car because it costs less and will help leave a better world for their grandchildren. 

“These new standards will mean more choices. Better, faster, more fun, cheaper clean cars and passenger trucks of all kinds. American ingenuity will give families more options than ever before – and choosing an electric vehicle will save thousands in fuel costs in the process.  

“Finally – and most importantly to me, as a mom – these new standards will mean healthier days ahead for us all. Today’s action will cut over seven billion tons of climate pollution – that’s more than all U.S. greenhouse gas pollution last year. It will slash deadly soot and reduce smog. That means fewer asthma attacks, less heart disease, and longer lives. The reality is clean cars will save kids.  

“The future is electric – built on a shared, pollution-free vision grounded in economic prosperity, job growth, and consumer savings. Today we continue our journey toward a cleaner, healthier world. As a mom, I want to thank everyone who made it possible.” 

            - Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund.

(March 19, 2024) – New preliminary analysis by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reveals that millions of acres of critical wetland habitat are now at risk of losing vital protections in the wake of a 2023 Supreme Court majority opinion (Sackett v EPA) that drastically narrowed the scope of wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act.

Prior to the decision, the Supreme Court and lower courts upheld that wetlands that are connected to federal waterways, including those connected below the surface, such as through groundwater, should be protected. The Supreme Court opinion now states that wetlands must have “a continuous surface connection” to federal waters, an approach that is not grounded in science and establishes tremendous uncertainty as to how this will be interpreted in the long-term.   

EDF scientists have estimated federal protections based on multiple interpretations of the Supreme Court’s decision. Preliminary results show that between 15 and 90 million acres (just smaller than the state of California) of wetlands in the contiguous U.S. may have lost federal protections. The analysis presents a wide range of estimated impacts precisely due to the subjective language in the opinion, the true impact of which will be seen over time. The decision is compounded by the fact that many states have few or no state-level wetlands protections, with 24 states relying entirely on federal protections via the Clean Water Act and therefore potentially leaving wetlands without any protection at all.   

“Wetlands provide important wildlife habitat, clean water and significant flood risk reduction,” said Dr. Adam Gold, a scientist with EDF’s Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds program in North Carolina. “Losing the ability at both federal and state levels to manage impacts to wetlands and promote their conservation is bad for communities. This new preliminary analysis demonstrates the uncertainty in federal wetlands protections going forward due to the Supreme Court’s unscientific ruling.” 

Wetlands are pivotal in protecting communities from flooding, our nation’s costliest natural hazard, because they act as natural sponges that slow and absorb floodwaters, reducing downstream damages. With one acre of wetlands storing as much as 1.5 million gallons of flood water, continued loss of wetlands and development in high-risk areas will only exacerbate the impacts of climate change and put more communities at risk of flooding. Wetlands also clean our water and are home to 40% of the world’s species and 75% of commercially harvested fish and shellfish species in the United States.   

EDF is working together with scientists, advocates and policymakers to better quantify, communicate and protect the breadth and value of benefits that wetlands provide. This will require cutting-edge advancements in science and economics, partnerships across a wide spectrum of stakeholders and targeted policy actions.   

To learn more, visit our website or contact wetlands@edf.org.

(Washington, D.C. – March 15, 2024) News reports say the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon unveil its final clean car standards – limits on climate and health-harming pollution from new passenger cars and trucks and medium-duty vehicles like delivery vans in model years 2027 through 2032.

“EPA’s clean car standards will put the pedal to the metal as the U.S. races to achieve cleaner, healthier air for everyone,” said Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund. “Tailpipes release dangerous particle pollution, smog-forming nitrogen oxides and are one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the nation. Strong clean car standards help provide cleaner air and a safer climate, thousands of dollars in cost savings for our families, and hundreds of thousands of new jobs in U.S. manufacturing.

“Robust clean car standards will accelerate the job creation and manufacturing renaissance that are now underway as our country embraces cleaner cars. Manufacturers across the U.S. have invested $188 billion in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing – most since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Pollution-free cars, trucks and SUVs are on our roads right now and are saving their owners thousands of dollars on fuel and maintenance costs. EPA’s clean car standards will make it easier for every American to drive a clean car if they want to – and that will mean healthier air and a safer climate for all.”

Environmental Defense Fund has recently released a series of analyses and fact sheets about electric vehicle investments, sales, job growth, and EPA’s imminent vehicle pollution standards:

• FACTS about U.S. electric vehicles: Putting the Pedal to the Metal
• U.S. Electric Vehicle Investments Have Grown to $188 Billion, Almost 200,000 Jobs – New Report
• U.S. Is World Leader in Recent Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Investments
• New Analysis: EPA Clean Vehicle Standards Will Save Thousands of Lives, Protect Health, Slash Air Pollution
• Analysis Finds U.S. Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing on Track to Meet Demand
• U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales are Going Further, Faster than Many Experts Forecast

(HARRISBURG, Pa. – March 13, 2024) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) issued the following statement in response to Governor Josh Shapiro’s announcement of legislation including the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (“PRESS”) Act and the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (“PACER”) Act to implement a power sector cap-and-invest program.

“We thank Governor Josh Shapiro for creating the opportunity for the Pennsylvania legislature to step up on climate – particularly to curb harmful pollution from the state’s power plants and take meaningful steps forward to deploy more clean electricity across the state, said Kate Courtin, Senior Manager for State Climate Policy & Strategy at EDF. “Today’s climate and clean energy legislative proposals are an important step in furthering the dialogue on how the State can limit climate pollution, better position Pennsylvania to compete in the growing clean energy economy, and secure healthier communities.

“The Governor’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) working group found that a cap-and-invest program is the most effective and efficient way to reduce power sector pollution and invest in the Commonwealth’s energy transition. RGGI remains a proven and effective approach to implement this type of program and EDF strongly supports Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI as a core part of the State’s climate plan. We are hopeful that the PACER proposal can advance a conversation with the General Assembly on the best path forward for the State to limit power sector carbon pollution. 

“We encourage legislators in both caucuses to engage in dialogue on a serious cap-and-invest program that limits power sector emissions in line with state and national climate goals, creates sustainable job growth, benefits consumers, and ensures the Commonwealth is ready to compete in the new economy.”

Washington, D.C. – March 13, 2024) Eleven of the nation’s leading health, environmental and community groups have filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to defend the Environmental Protection Agency’s protective limits on methane pollution from new and existing oil and gas sources against court challenges.

EPA’s standards will reduce millions of tons of climate-damaging methane and other toxic, smog-forming pollution from oil and gas leaks, venting and flaring – an action that will give people cleaner, healthier air to breathe and help protect them from the severe damages of climate change. On Friday, the state of Texas filed a lawsuit to block it.

Last night the Clean Air Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Dakota Resource Council, Earthworks, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Food & Water Watch, Fort Berthold Protectors of Water and Earth Rights (Ft. Berthold POWER), GreenLatinos, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Sierra Club filed a motion to intervene in the case in support of EPA’s standards.

“The anticipated emissions reductions stemming from these requirements will substantially decrease climate and public health harms, including respiratory illness and death,” the groups say in their motion. “Specifically, EPA estimates that in one year alone the Rule will prevent 97,000 cases of asthma symptoms and 35,000 lost school days per year. Cumulatively, the Rule will prevent hundreds of premature deaths … EPA also estimates that the Methane Rule will result in $110 billion in climate benefits” between 2024 and 2038.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has more than 80 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. The oil and gas sector is the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the U.S.

The oil and gas sector is also responsible for large amounts of other pollutants, including benzene, which causes cancer, and toluene, which causes dysfunctions of the central nervous system. This pollution disproportionately burdens historically marginalized people, such as Tribal communities, whose members are more likely to live near oil and gas facilities.

EPA’s oil and gas methane standards are firmly rooted in science and the law – specifically the agency’s core authority, reinforced in recent years by Congress, to address methane pollution under the Clean Air Act.

A new report from Environmental Defense Fund and Arup shows how adopting a zero-emission strategy for supply chains and energy systems both on and off port terminals is beneficial to the climate, surrounding communities' health, and operators’ bottom lines. It also acts as a roadmap for those interested in applying for federal funding, including the $3 billion available through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Ports Program, announced last week.

The report, “Practical Pathways for Port Decarbonization and Environmental Justice” offers a series of best practices for net zero-aligned activity and creates measurements for accountability. Specifically, it provides a dashboard with key steps ports can take to help them reach net zero by 2050. Many of these same steps are fundable under the Clean Ports Program, which seeks to reduce air pollution near domestic ports impacting nearby communities. 

Addressing environmental justice concerns

Ports and their contributions to climate change and air pollution have long had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low-wealth communities. BIL and IRA funding under the federal government’s Justice40 Initiative provides ports with opportunities to improve their operations while directly benefiting nearby communities.

“Diesel trucks, ships, cargo handling equipment and rail operating in and around ports are significant contributors to emissions and air pollution to neighboring communities,” said Dr. Margot Brown, Senior Vice President Justice & Equity at Environmental Defense Fund. “Many of these neighborhoods are low wealth and communities of color, and ports have the responsibility to work with the cargo owners and fleets to support a timely and equitable move toward zero emissions and cleaner air. This new report offers tangible steps they can take to reduce Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions and improve health outcomes, in a way that’s inclusive and meaningful to nearby communities.”

An opportunity to upgrade

Federal investments, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offer ports an unprecedented opportunity to access funding to upgrade their infrastructure and accelerate their transition to zero emissions, while addressing environmental justice concerns.

The report links actions to specific new funding opportunities under recent legislation that ports can leverage and details multiple programs, outlining which opportunities align with both planning and construction projects.

Ports vary dramatically in their commitment to climate action, and this report identifies high-potential opportunities, so they can either start their journey or increase their ambitions.

"Ports will play a pivotal role in rapidly decarbonizing our economy in a way that does not leave anyone behind. We have provided a clear path forward for ports to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions that maximizes economic opportunities and benefits to local communities,” said Dr. Robert Kay, Arup’s Americas Climate and Sustainability Services Leader. "Ports have an incredible opportunity from new federal funding programs to advance decarbonization and environmental justice. This report is a great tool meant to help ports take advantage of this chance to improve climate and supply chain resilience across the United States.”

The report will help ports accelerate their GHG emissions reductions, decrease social and environmental impacts to local communities, expand investment and business opportunities, improve climate and supply chain resilience and increase competitiveness for government funding.

“As companies transporting goods raise their climate ambitions to decarbonize their supply chains, port facilities are a pivotal lever that severely hinders, or powerfully advances their actions. With this immediate opportunity to access federal funding, we strongly encourage all port landlords, port authorities and port terminal operators to use the practical steps laid out in this report, to advance their modernization plans, for the benefit of their customers, local communities and global climate goals” said Angie Farrag Thibault, Associate Vice-President Global Transportation at Environmental Defense Fund.