By or on January 1, 2022, the state will be issuing a draft plan for meeting the requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Signed into law in July 2019, the Act sets targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the state’s economy. These targets are exceptionally challenging: 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050 compared to the levels in 1990. Here’s what a graph of that looks like, with quantifies in metric tons of CO2 equivalent:
The draft plan will lead to a final plan by January 1, 2023, with regulations being promulgated beginning no later than January 1, 2024. Note that this deadline is still two years away, leaving us only 6 years to slash emissions by 40% unless we start doing so voluntarily. Compare this to the involuntary reductions in CO2 emissions caused by Covid-19 of just 5.6% (World Meteorological Organization, https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/united_in_science) and consider the impact on our lives.
We are invited to comment on the draft beginning this January and get 120 days to do so. This is an opportunity to open a community-wide discussion about the impacts of climate change on the Rochester region and how we can help and benefit.
The CLCPA planning process is being conducted by a 22-member Climate Action Council, which is supported by seven advisory panels. Presentations and minutes of these proceedings are posted at https://climate.ny.gov/ (sign up on this site for email updates on the planning process). The panels are:
- Agriculture and Forestry will promote reductions in emissions from agriculture and forestry operations, development of sustainable biofuels, and increases in carbon sequestration in soil.
- Energy Efficiency and Housing will focus on inducing the energy efficiency and electrification of buildings and the conservation of resources through behavioral changes.
- Energy-Intensive and Trade-Exposed Industries will work on reducing on-site energy use in construction, manufacturing, and mining.
- Land Use and Local Government will influence planning and zoning policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled, promote non-motorized transportation, increase carbon sequestration in soils, and enhance adoption of renewable energy sources.
- Power Generation will explore the transition from natural gas to carbon-free power sources.
- Transportation will examine electrification of vehicles and alternative fuels, ways to improve public transportation, and smart growth opportunities.
- Waste Reduction will work to increase recycling and reuse, reduce methane-emitting waste, and increase anaerobic digestion for waste materials.
A separate panel, the Climate Justice Working Group, will influence the work of the others and focus on the environmental impacts of pollutants and greenhouse gases on disadvantaged communities.
Each advisory panel has two charges:
- Identify a range of emissions reductions for its sector, consistent with analysis and in consultation with the Climate Action Council.
- Present a list of recommendations for emissions reducing policies, programs, or actions for consideration by the Climate Action Council for inclusion in the Scoping Plan.
- Recommendations should identify the estimated scale of impact, knowable costs to achieve, ease of deployment or commercial availability, potential co-benefits to emissions reduction, advancement of climate justice outcomes, and impacts to businesses.
- Recommendations may be informed by quantitative analysis or qualitative assessment.
- The panels should not rely on economy-wide policies to achieve emission reduction goals.
- Cross-sector recommendations should be advanced only after consultation with the appropriate panels.
And just a brief reminder: the following graph shows the trend we’re on. Compare this to the graph above showing where we need to go.
