Author: Emily Frias Published: 12/7/2021 CCA
Dear Ronald,
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The 2022 Maryland General Assembly session starts in just a few weeks, and the pressure is on to pass major, substantive climate policy in the final year of the four-year legislative term. With unprecedented federal funding coming our way, we have a golden opportunity to once again lift Maryland up as a national leader on climate… but only if our legislators are prepared to lead!
That’s why CCAN has worked tirelessly with other top climate activists — Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Maryland Legislative Coalition-Climate Justice Wing, Maryland Sierra Club, and others — to develop a comprehensive climate platform for the 2022 General Assembly session.
Our joint 2022 platform puts justice and economic recovery at the forefront, while committing us to the scientifically based emissions targets needed to keep the planet livable. From electrifying buildings, to green school buses, to creating new jobs, there’s a lot to love about this platform. Every climate advocate will find something in it that inspires them to fight for its full passage.
At this launch event, advocacy leaders across Maryland will tell you about all of the important things we’re pushing for next session. We’ll also discuss our plans to elevate this issue with legislative leaders, and how you can take a critical role in getting this platform over the finish line.
With a vision as bold as this one, we need all hands on deck to make it reality! Join us at 6:30 PM on Tuesday to be part of this historic effort.
In solidarity,
Emily FriasMD Grassroots CoordinatorChesapeake Climate Action Network
P.S. If you can’t attend the launch, a great way to take your first step to support the 2022 climate platform is to sign off on it yourself! You can read and sign a resolution in support of the platform here.
Climate Platform Resolution
To avoid the most catastrophic climate impacts, we must cut emissions by 60% below 2006 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. This means bold decarbonzation in the top emitting sectors – transportation, electricity, and direct fuel use in residential, commercial, and industrial (RCI) buildings. In 2019, we tackled the energy/electricity sector by passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Now, we need to take on buildings and the transportation sector while committing to bolder emissions reduction goals and climate action on the state level.
Please take a moment to add your name to the following resolution. **NOTE, if you represent an organization, it is best that you fill out the form here instead.**
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WHEREAS, sea-level rise is expected to cost Maryland $27 billion by 2040, and by 2050, the typical number of heatwave days in Maryland is projected to increase from more than 10 to 50 days a year.
WHEREAS, the latest science put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that wealthy nations must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
WHEREAS, the current draft climate plan to reduce emissions — which currently calls for a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and does not include accurate accounting of methane emissions— is outdated, flawed, and not strong enough to match the science.
WHEREAS, Maryland residents of color and those from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds bear a disproportionate burden of cancer risk from toxins in the air and are more likely to live in proximity to polluting facilities such as compression stations, landfills, and incinerators.
WHEREAS the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE’s) greenhouse gas inventory shows that the top three emitting sectors are transportation, electricity, and direct fuel use in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings; yet, Maryland has not passed significant legislation to reduce emissions in the buildings or transportation sector.
WHEREAS, transportation is the largest source of climate emissions in Maryland with trucks responsible for 30% of carbon emissions and 57% of particulate matter, and transportation pollution disproportionately impacts communities that have been underinvested due to redlining and racial segregation.
WHEREAS, the direct use of gas, heating oil, and propane in buildings — primarily for space heating and water heating –accounted for 13 percent of Maryland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017.
WHEREAS, building electrification is key to reducing direct emissions from Maryland’s buildings sector and all-electric new buildings typically have lower annual construction and operating costs than mixed-fuel buildings. For these reasons, the Maryland Commission on Climate Change recommends the adoption of an all-electric construction code for all new residential, commercial, and state-funded buildings beginning no later than 2024.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the undersigned Maryland organizations, businesses, and individuals support:
- Increasing emissions reduction requirements to achieve 60% carbon reductions by 2030 based on 2006 levels and a deadline of 2045 for the state economy to reach net-zero emissions.
- Revising methane accounting practices to direct Maryland agencies to estimate indirect (upstream) emissions and use the global warming potential for methane over a 20-year time horizon in estimating the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Vehicle electrification through the Advanced Clean Truck rule and school bus electrification policy with prioritization of school districts in environmental justice communities.
- Building emissions performance standards to get large buildings to be net-zero by 2040 with an emphasis on schools and universities in the interim.
- Mandating new construction to be all-electric starting in 2023 with requirements for residential buildings to be energy efficient and solar-ready.
—Have you heard of our advocacy arm, CCAN Action Fund? CCAN Action Fund aims to create change in public policy through voter education, lobbying, and participation in the electoral process. Like CCAN Action Fund on Facebook to stay in the loop: