State and local governments are rallying behind a Climate Action Plan to end the climate change crisis: The California House Against Fossil Fuel Gas Hookups
An action plan is being created to encourage the widespread electrification of residential buildings and create zero emission buildings. State and local governments have had to pivot in response to the fossil fuel industry’s fierce opposition to bans on new gas hookups, which killed a first-in-the nation plan in Berkeley, California that dragged gas stoves into the nation’s culture wars.
Traditional heating and cooling systems can be more energy efficient if they use heat pumps. They can run on renewable energy such as wind and solar when there is more clean energy in the power grids. The states that have signed the agreement are: California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
Buildings are a major source of pollution, accounting for more than a third of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions globally. Fossil fuel combustion in buildings also produces more smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than power plants do in the US. Fossil-fueled heating equipment across the nine states that have joined the MOU create more than 138,000 tons of NOx and 6,000 tons of fine particulate matter pollution each year.
Climate change poses a significant threat to our future economic success, impacts the health and livelihood of our communities, and undermines the value chains on which we rely, according to a letter. The state’s adoption of a more robust building decarbonization policies and programs will help us meet both business and state goals faster and more cost-effectively while reducing climate-related health and safety risks.
The plan is supported by companies including Schneider Electric, Ikea, eBay, and two of the biggest heating and cooling manufacturers, Trane and Carrier. They signed a letter of support for the MOU yesterday.
“Even though it’s not legally binding, it does plant a flag and set a strong shared target that states are collectively moving in this direction,” says Emily Levin, senior policy advisor at Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The nonprofit association of air quality agencies spearheaded the effort to adopt an MOU.
This is more of a guessing game and not a clear-cut plan for now. There will be policies or incentives for the states to deploy these heat pumps. It shows how much people care about the fight against climate change. And with national climate policies hanging in the balance during upcoming presidential elections, state-led efforts become more crucial.