Global Warming Report Card: Connecticut Drops to C+ for Policies

At Five-year Anniversary of Regional Climate Agreement, State Not on Track to Meet Commitments

On the fifth anniversary of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers global warming agreement, the New England Climate Coalition issued its third annual climate report card. This Report Card on Climate Change gauges the progress of individual provinces and states in meeting the goals of the 2001 Eastern Canada/New England accord on climate action.

Concerned about the lack of action to cut global warming pollution in both countries, the Governors and Premiers agreed in 2001 to take a series of actions to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and ultimately by 75-85%.

At the half-way mark, Connecticut is not on track towards reaching the 2010 goals, as emissions are rising in every sector. While Connecticut made a flurry of progress in 2004 and 2005, with the passage of the 2004 global warming law, the release of the CT Climate Change Action Plan 2005, and the adoption of some items in the plan, including the California Clean Cars standards, progress since 2005 has been slow. Connecticut led the New England states in 2005, and tied for the lead in 2004, but has done little since releasing its climate plan in 2005.

"Connecticut has laid the necessary groundwork to reach the regional climate goals, but is falling behind in implementation," noted Roger Smith, coordinator of the Connecticut Climate Coalition. "Like the lead state, Maine, Connecticut has a law requiring the state to meet the regional climate goals and has a strong climate plan. Unfortunately, Connecticut has not kept up with Maine in helping consumers use electricity and natural gas more efficiently, and has made little headway in reducing sprawl."

Highlights of Connecticut's progress include:

• Release of a comprehensive CT Climate Change Action Plan
• In 2004 the legislature passed Public Act 04-252 which committed CT to meet the regional pollution reduction goals and mandated the creation of this plan.
• Clean Electricity: CT has a strong minimum standard for clean electricity supplied by utilities (7% by 2010). In December 2005, Connecticut formally agreed to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a northeastern program to reduce global warming pollution from power plants.
• Clean Transportation: In 2004 CT adopted the California Clean Cars Standard, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from new cars 30% by 2016; and in 2006 passed a law to create an educational global warming labeling program for new cars. In 2005 and 2006, Connecticut began to increase investment in mass transit by funding a new commuter rail service between New Haven and Springfield
• Government lead by example: In 2006 the legislature mandated that new state construction and renovation projects be built to the "LEED Silver" green building standard, but unfortunately exempted schools.

Improvements Needed to Reach the Climate Goals:

• Rhode Island and Maine have moved beyond Connecticut and mandated that electric and gas utilities adopt "least-cost procurement" standards where cost-effective efficiency investments come before charging ratepayers to build new expensive new power plants. Electric efficiency costs less than one-third of new supply, saves consumers money, and reduces the need to build and operate polluting power plants. CT could eliminate all growth in electricity demand through cost-effective efficiency programs.
• CT is lagging in protecting consumers from the impacts of rising fossil fuel prices as it is the only New England state without programs to help businesses and households use natural gas for heating more efficiently. Connecticut has also failed to create a heating oil efficiency program to help homeowners conserve oil by upgrading their windows, insulation, and boilers. The climate plan estimates oil and gas efficiency could deliver larger GHG reductions than any other policy while saving consumers $5 billion by 2020.
• Smart Growth: CT has made little progress coordinating development to link housing, jobs and transportation and antiquated zoning laws discourage compact development.
• The governor and state agencies have made no progress reducing black carbon soot from diesel vehicles to levels outlined in climate plan.
  Connecticut should adopt high-performance green building standards for new and renovated schools, saving taxpayers money and creating healthier study environments.

Quebec is at the head of the class with a B+ with a new climate action plan that, if implemented will ensure that province can meet its pollution reduction goals. Measures include the adoption of California clean cars standards, strict energy efficiency building codes, significant household and business energy efficiency programs, major investments in public transportation funded by a carbon tax, and the aggressive development of renewable energy sources in addition to hydro.

New Hampshire finds itself a the bottom of the heap with a D+, having failed to even begin work on a state climate plan. The laggard on the Canadian side of the border is New Brunswick with a C-.

"We need the governor and legislature to treat the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. For next year's report card, we hope Connecticut will regain its lead by making real progress in reducing pollution from energy and transportation. If we want to continue to be a national leader on global warming, we need to put our climate plan into action," concluded Smith.

Get the full Report Card (pdf, 132kb)

Resources:
CT Climate Change Action Plan 2005

CT Climate Background

Background on Oil and Gas Efficiency

Files listed as PDFs are Adobe Acrobat files. You may download Acrobat Reader for free from Adobe

Connecticut CWA
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