NEMWI Releases Climate Change Scorecard for NE and MW States
The Northeast-Midwest Institute has released a new report and scorecard titled, “Scorecard of Climate Change Remediation Policies in Northeast and Midwest States,” that evaluates and ranks states in the northeast and midwest region in terms of their policies regarding climate change action.
The scorecard and report compare each state’s climate action policy progress with other states in the region. A total of 18 states in the northeast and midwest region are compared. The report compares each state's commitment to climate action policy with others in the region, as well as to the broader United States. The report identifies which states are the leaders in pursuing and enacting climate policy, as well as states that are not as committed and need further engagement. Three of the 18 states – Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York – have perfect scores on the scorecard, indicating these states’ high level of commitment to climate change action.
The scorecard and ranking examine 10 specific criteria to measure each state’s commitment to climate change policy. These 10 indicators include whether the state has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, a carbon pricing system, mandatory renewable portfolio standards, zero emission vehicle standards, an environmental justice agency, whether they are a part of the United States Climate Alliance, whether they have a climate action plan, whether they have a climate action task force, a green bank, and lastly, if they attempted to include some kind of climate change curriculum in their education systems.
In addition to the leading states, the report also discusses the shortcomings of states with little to no climate legislation, such as Ohio and Indiana. The report concludes with an observation of widespread trends, as well as a recommendation of next steps for the 18 states.
Both the scorecard and the report were researched and written by NEMWI intern Emily Cha, a student at Brown University.
To learn more about climate change policy action and the progress that northeastern and midwestern states have made on this important issue, read the full report here.
House Committee Holds Hearing on Biden Clean Water Rule
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing last week examining the recently released “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS rule, and its impact on stakeholders. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) rule redefines which wetlands and waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act.
While the Obama administration had initially released a WOTUS rule, the Trump administration rescinded it, declaring it government overreach and replacing the rule with a less stringent definition. The Biden administration, which had halted the Trump administration’s rule when it came into office, has said that the new rule serves as a middle ground between the Obama and Trump rules.
FOLLOW us on Twitter! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Twitter with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Twitter page.
Please check out our Twitter page here or by searching @NEMWInstitute. And be sure to FOLLOW us to keep up to date with NEMWI on Twitter!
Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Facebook
LIKE us on Facebook! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Facebook with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Facebook page.
Please check out our Facebook page here. And be sure to LIKE us to begin following NEMWI on Facebook!
