Dive Brief:
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed linking the northeast's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with other "successful carbon markets," amid a slate of proposals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Argus reports.
- In signing the Under 2 Memorandum, a California-led initiative to commit governments to work to keep the rise in global average temperatures under 2 degrees Celsius, the governor made a number of climate commitments, In one, he announced intentions to install renewables at all 64 campuses of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation’s largest statewide public university system, by 2020.
- Cuomo also wants to bolster the NY SUN intiative, commiting to bringing solar to 150,000 more homes and businesses by 2020.
Dive Insight:
Carbon markets are working on a regional level in several areas, but Gov. Cuomo last week announced the state is looking to expand its participation beyond just the RGGI, which has been successful in the northeast. The governor said New York will work with California, Quebec and Ontario to expand and potentially link the markets.
"Connecting these markets would be more cost-effective and stable, thereby supporting clean energy and driving international carbon emission reductions," Cuomo's office said in a statement. "New York State will also engage other states and provinces to build a broader carbon market and further drive an international discussion that encourages government action on carbon emissions."
The announcement was a part of a larger slate of carbon iniatives Cuomo proposed to combat climate change.
“Climate change is an issue of society’s sustainability – and to deny that climate change is real is to deny reason,” he said. “Today, New York is stepping up. We are demonstrating the leadership and focus that this issue demands. We are joining together and committing ourselves to tackling climate change and showing the nation what is possible. Now it is up to world leaders to follow suit.”
Cuomo also signed the Under 2 Memorandum of Understanding, an agreement between states, provinces and cities around the world which affirms a commitment to help keep the earth’s average temperature from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsuis (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100.
A plan to place renewable energy at all SUNY campuses in the next five years will help the state-run university build on its goal to improve its energy efficiency performance by 20% and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 30% across the same time.
Cuomo was joined by former Vice President Al Gore in making the announcement, who said: "New York's efforts to reduce emissions and join with others like California, Quebec, and Ontario to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy send a strong signal to world leaders: local, regional, and state governments are taking climate action now."
Argus notes that Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) has also been in in discussions with Quebec premier Philippe Couillard about increasing cooperation on climate policy, but a state official warned that the ability of one state or provide to influence climate policy on its own is limited.