Center Activities

The Center offers governors the tools and information they need to improve air quality and voluntarily reduce greenhouse gases. The Center identifies best practices and conducts outreach to governors policy advisors and other state officials to deliver information on innovative policies on integrated transportation and clean air planning.

The Center also researches state activities that help to reduce greenhouse gases while accomplishing other economic, energy, and environmental goals, such as: fostering public-private partnerships; developing methods to provide business and industry with appropriate credit for early actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and linking greenhouse gas emission reduction plans with broader state initiatives, such as growth and quality of life plans.

Climate Change Overview

Greenhouse gases (GHG) occur naturally in the atmosphere and are also introduced as a result of human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Human activities and industries can also introduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

Many states are voluntarily implementing programs, technologies, and policies that are resulting in GHG emission reductions. In fact, twenty-five states and Puerto Rico are working with EPA on action plans that identify cost-effective options for reducing GHG emissions or enhancing GHG sequestration. The action plans describe how individual states can reduce their GHG emissions, the potential impacts of those reductions, and a voluntary implementation strategy.

In addition to action plans, states are implementing other initiatives. In 2001, Governor George E. Pataki signed an executive order creating the New York State Greenhouse Gas Task Force to develop policy recommendations for greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. The executive order also requires state agencies to implement energy efficient practices and encourages alternative energy production.

Also in 2001, the New England Governors Conference created the Climate Change Action Plan with the Eastern Canadian premiers. In May 2002, New Hampshire enacted the Clean Power Act. This landmark legislation makes New Hampshire the first state to require fossil fuel plants to reduce emissions of four pollutants, including carbon dioxide.

In the spring of 2002 Oregon became the first state in the nation to use its Capitol building to generate power from the sun. Seventy-two photovoltaic cells were installed recently atop the west wing of the Capitol to convert sunlight into electricity. Energy generated from the Capitol is fed directly to Portland General Electric's system.

Governors and states are working together through regional agreements and collaborations. In November 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, and Washington Governor Gary Locke agreed to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using efficiency measures. For example, the governors agreed to collaborate on the purchase of hybrid vehicles and incorporate aggressive energy efficiency measures into updates of state building energy codes.

The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont have agreed to work together to develop and implement a regional cap on greenhouse gas emissions and create a market-based greenhouse gas credit trading program through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Maryland is set to join the initiative as a full participant in 2007, and Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia as well as the Eastern Canadian Provinces and New Brunswick are all observers in the process.

Additionally, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson have agreed to work together on a Southwest Climate Change Initiative.

These are just a few examples of states taking action. Other states are implementing educational campaigns, turning methane gase from landfills into profitable energy, and promoting car pooling and natural gas vehicles.

Reports

On November 20, 2002, the Center released a report highlighting how state smart growth programs can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report cites expanding transportation choices, conserving greenspaces, and promoting new community designs as effective strategies for reducing greenhouse gases. These approaches offer an effective alternative to costly government regulations and also contribute to protecting quality of life. The report showcases many successful state initiatives. Read the report (PDF).

Workshops

Integrating Energy, Economic and Environmental Goals
On April 29-30, 2004, the NGA Center for Best Practices convened a meeting on integrating energy, economic and environmental goals. The meeting explored the approaches states have taken to capture cost savings, promote economic development, contribute to energy independence, reduce emissions, and generate air quality and public health benefits. The featured best practices were based on input from a ten-state advisory group and a series of papers developed by the Center for Clean Air Policy, in partnership with the NGA Center and the states.

State Innovations to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
On February 28 - March 1, 2002, representatives from 27 states met in Washington, DC, to discuss opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases, with a special focus on methods that produce multiple benefits. Panel presentations highlighted reduction strategies and state best practices on the following topics: educational initiatives, registries, regulations, public/private partnerships, smart growth, and renewable portfolio standards.

The November Emerging Growth Issues Workshop
On November 29-30, 2001, representatives from various state agencies, from fifteen different states, met to discuss linkages between growth and community design, greenhouse gas mitigation, and public and environmental health protection. Click on the link above to navigate to a summary of the workshop, with an agenda that provides links to presentations made available by the speakers.

The June Emerging Growth Issues Workshop
On June 26-27, 2001, representatives from various state agencies, within twelve states, met to discuss how smart growth policy development intersects with issues related to public and environmental health, disaster mitigation, and climate change. Click on the link above to navigate to a summary of the workshop, which includes an agenda that provides links to presentations made available by the speakers.

Related Links:

• EPA Global Warming Homepage
• EPA Guidance: Improving Air Quality through Land Use
• State Actions on Greenhouse Gases

• California
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Iowa
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

Regional Actions

• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont are participants, Maryland will become a full participant in 2007, and the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, the Eastern Canadian Provinces, and New Brunswick are all observers in the process.
• New England Governors Climate Change Action Plan
• West Coast Governors' Global Warming Initiative – California, Oregon, and Washington are participants.
• Southwest Climate Change Initiative – Arizona and New Mexico are participants.
• Western Regional Climate Action Initiative - Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington are participants.

News

• Connecticut Greenhouse Gas Labeling for Cars
• Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has asked the head of Montana's Department of Environmental Quality to form a Climate Change Advisory Board that will come up with solutions to reduce greenhouse gases produced in Montana by 20007.
• North Carolina Governor Mike Easley has signed legislation to create a Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change.
• Illinois has become the first state to work with a voluntary, legally binding carbon exchange market to provide offsets for interested corporations through conservation practices from Illinois farmers.
• Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has announced that his state will set standards designed to lower emissions of greenhouse gases from power plants.
• New Mexico joins Chicago Climate Exchange.
• A number of states have adopted greenhouse gas emission standards that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles by thirty-percent by the year 2016.
• California and the United Kingdom will work together on climate change and clean energy.
• Arizona Climate Change Advisory Group, part of an initiative from Governor Napolitano.
• South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford announces  Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee.

 Resources and Information

• Powering the Plains initiative.
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change – What's Being Done in the States.