The Alliance of 15 American states that was formed to honor Paris climate pact commitments has claimed that they are on track to meet - and potentially exceed - their portion of the US Government's Paris Agreement commitments.
The first U.S. Climate Alliance (USCA) Annual Report was released Wednesday at the first public meeting of U.S. Climate Alliance co-chairs in New York City.
Representing the USCA, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, California Governor Edmund Brown Jr., and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee were joined by former Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss how governors can step up given the void of federal climate action.
The report says that collectively, Greenhouse gas emissions in the 15 states fell by 15 percent between 2005 and 2015, compared to 10 percent for non-Alliance states. This hasn't come at the expense of economic growth. On the contrary, the combined economic output of Alliance states grew by 14 percent, the report claims.
In response to President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, Governors of three US states - New York, California, and Washington - in June formed the United States Climate Alliance, and vowed they are committed to achieve the U.S. goal of reducing emissions 26-28 percent from 2005 levels and meeting or exceeding the targets of the federal Clean Power Plan.
And the new report says Alliance states are projected to achieve a combined 24-29 percent GHG emission reduction below 2005 levels by 2025.
The bipartisan Alliance has grown to 15 members with the latest addition of North Carolina. The Alliance now encompasses 36 percent of the U.S. population and $7.16 trillion of America's GDP.
USCA's progress report comes two months before world leaders convene in Germany for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23). Countries from around the world have reaffirmed their commitment to continue reducing emissions, despite Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The USCA will be represented at COP 23.
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