Connecticut’s Council on Climate Change has some recommendations for the next decade to reduce greenhouse gas pollution in the state.
A report from the council says Connecticut needs to build more energy-efficient buildings and put more cars on the road that run on clean energy. Claire Coleman, with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, is a member of the council.
“We’re really excited about energy efficiency, which saves energy, reduces pollution, helps families build healthier lives and creates jobs at the same time.”
Earlier this year the council recommended the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 45 percent below their 2001 levels by the year 2030. In June Governor Dannel Malloy signed a law to enforce that goal.
Connecticut will also join eight other Northeast and mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional plan to reduce transportation emissions.
The group said those sources account for most of the region's carbon pollution.
The states will work to draft a more detailed plan within a year. At that time each state will decide whether to formally adopt the policy.
Any revenue generated from the program would go toward developing low-carbon and more resilient transportation infrastructure — from bike lanes to public transit to zero-emission vehicles.
Besides Connecticut, the agreement was endorsed by Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia. New York is not yet a part of the deal.
