Global Warming Solutions News

As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release. 

BOSTON—A "Report Card" released today by a coalition of environmental advocates in the United States and Canada has given Massachusetts a grade of B- for its actions to reduce global warming pollution in the region.

"Massachusetts' grade of B- is among the highest in the region and reflects the recent release of the Climate Protection Plan—the state's blueprint for tackling global warming," said Jed Thorp, Energy Organizer for Clean Water Action, which helped grade Massachusetts for the report card. "However, Massachusetts won't be able to meet the goals of this recent Plan unless transportation policies are strengthened to reduce carbon pollution from cars and other vehicles."

The 2004 Report Card on Climate Change Action was written to gauge the progress of individual states and provinces in meeting the goals of the New England Governor's / Eastern Canadian Premiers' Climate Change Action Plan of 2001.

Recognizing the impacts of climate change on the region's environment, economy and public health, in August of 2001 the Governors of the six New England states and the Premiers of the five eastern Canadian provinces committed the region to the following goals:
- Reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2010.
- Reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
- Reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions by 75-85 percent in the long-term.

"We are just getting off the starting line, and we're still in first gear," said Frank Gorke, an Energy Advocate with MASSPIRG, the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group. "That puts us ahead of most other states. But first gear is not going to get us to the finish line fast enough. Now it's time to shift into the next gear and really get going."

The Report Card released today highlights those areas in which Massachusetts has made progress since 2001, and those areas in which much more work is needed. Highlights of Massachusetts' progress include committing to "lead by example" in reducing energy use at state facilities 25 percent by 2012 and releasing the overall Climate Protection Plan that includes 72 initiatives aimed at reducing global warming pollution. However, the state will need to take additional steps to hit the goals that it has set, including:

- Adopting a full range of policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled in the transportation sector, such as increased funding for public transit, "pay-as-you-drive" insurance, and steps to coordinate regional planning to reduce sprawl;
- Finishing rules to require reductions in global warming pollution from the "Filthy Five" most polluting power plants in Massachusetts; and
- Removing barriers to the development of clean, renewable energy sources by requiring long-term purchase contracts to provide financial stability for renewable power developers.

"Improving energy efficiency in our buildings is a crucial component of reducing global warming pollution. Yet, despite the effectiveness of the existing efficiency programs for electricity, the State's climate action plan lacks a proposal to extend these financing programs to natural gas and to fuel oil," said Marc Breslow, Director of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network.

"Massachusetts was one of the first states to require utilities to use an increasing amount of renewable energy - an initiative that has now spread to 15 states." said Deborah Donovan, New England Clean Energy Project Manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists. "But the Commonwealth should be embarrassed that it still has not developed and enforced the regulations needed to implement the 1997 law effectively."

The Report Card comes just one month after two states in the region—Connecticut and Massachusetts—finalized comprehensive plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their respective states. High grades in the report card went to Connecticut and Massachusetts in the U.S., and Quebec and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Each received a grade of "B minus." Low scores in the region went to New Hampshire and Vermont, who each received a grade of "D plus."

"The New England states have often led the nation towards greater environmental protection and they aspire to that role regarding the fight against global warming. However, this scorecard shows that this effort is still far more talk than action," said Seth Kaplan, Director of the Clean Energy and Climate Change Program at the Conservation Law Foundation.

The New England Governors and eastern Canadian Premiers have plans to review their progress towards the goals of their 2001 Plan every three years, beginning in 2005. The authors of the Report Card hope that their recommendations will be used in planning next steps for the states and provinces.