As water rises and flooding worsens, McAuliffe can take immediate action by backing bipartisan climate legislation in the 2016 General Assembly
RICHMOND—On the heels of a landmark global agreement to step up action on climate change, Governor Terry McAuliffe today released the final report of his Virginia Climate Change and Resiliency Commission.
The report recommends a number of steps that Virginia can take to move toward clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas pollution—including establishing a green bank for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments, setting a renewable energy procurement target for the state government, and encouraging widespread use of electric vehicles.
Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“Given dangerous flooding is already a routine threat along our coast, Virginia must pick up the pace on climate action. The governor’s recommendations are a good start, and should be implemented without delay. But make no mistake, more action is needed to fully address climate change in Virginia. We need to move as quickly as possible to a renewable energy economy, while helping localities deal with the impacts of sea level rise and flooding that are here now.
“Virginia must significantly reduce our carbon footprint from power plants and make smarter energy choices to fight climate change. In the coming months, as the governor prepares his plan to comply with the Clean Power Plan, we must dramatically lower carbon emissions from all power plants in Virginia by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
“One practical solution to climate change that has yet to receive the governor’s endorsement is the passage of the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. Republican Delegate Ron Villanueva and Democratic Senator Donald McEachin have led the way by introducing this bipartisan bill. The bill would create the first statewide fund to help communities deal with flooding impacts by adding Virginia to the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. By committing his support, Governor McAuliffe can help bring $250 million to Virginia per year to help combat flooding and promote clean energy.”
Contact:
Mike Tidwell, 240-396-2022, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
Monique Sullivan, 240-396-2153, monique@chesapeakeclimate.org
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