Q4 Update 2006
Quarter 4 Update
October, November, December 2006
Climate Change Roadmap for New England and Eastern Canada
Massachusetts Announces $22.5 Million in Diesel Retrofits
NEG-ECP Energy and Transportation Dialogues
Regional Events and Recognition
Climate Change Roadmap for New England and Eastern Canada
On December 18, 2006, Environment Northeast released the Climate Change Roadmap for New England and Eastern Canada -- the first detailed and comprehensive plan to reach regional greenhouse gas reduction goals in this region. The Roadmap sets out a course of action for the region to achieve mid-term greenhouse gas reduction goals while securing a path towards the deep reduction target of 75% lower emissions by mid century. The 10 Priority Climate Solutions are broken down into 28 policy recommendations concerning three main sectors: energy, transportation and storing carbon.
ENE will share and discuss the Roadmap with industry representatives, elected officials, environmental advocacy groups and other leaders across the region in the coming months. Recent media coverage from newspaper outlets across the country and several radio news programs, including Air America's EcoTalk, has helped jumpstart a national and regional conversation about the Roadmap recommendations and their potential applications.
Massachusetts Announces $22.5 Million in Diesel Retrofits
On December 18th, Massachusetts announced that it will retrofit all of the state's school and transit buses by 2010, fulfilling 2 of the top 3 goals of the Massachusetts Diesel Pollution Solution organized by ENE. The $22.5 million will be used to install devices that will significantly reduce the amount of harmful particulate matter in the air that students, transit bus riders and other Massachusetts citizens breathe. ENE will continue to work closely with state officials, legislators, and partner community and environmental groups to develop diesel pollution mitigation strategies and legislation.
NEG-ECP Energy and Transportation Dialogues
The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers held Energy and Transportation Dialogues at which regional leaders and advocates discussed climate change targets and GHG emissions reductions policies. ENE's Sam Krasnow facilitated a discussion on efficiency policies (October 26th, Charlottetown, PEI) and Michael Stoddard presented at the Transportation Dialogue (December 15th, Portland, ME). Krasnow and Stoddard shared policy recommendations from the Climate Change Roadmap, which were also incorporated in summary documents that will be presented to the Governors and Premiers.
Regional Events and Recognition
In November, Director of Policy Analysis Derek Murrow participated in a panel on "Building a Credible Offsets Portfolio" at a sustainable campus consortium conference at Yale University.
People's Action for Clean Energy (PACE) hosted a panel, "Solutions to an Inconvenient Truth" in Hartford in November. Policy Analyst Alice Liddell participated in the panel, and Senior Attorney Roger Koontz accepted PACE's 2006 Organizational Award on behalf of Environment Northeast.
