This week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania’s membership in the U.S. Climate Alliance and released the state’s Climate Action Plan. The alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, facilitates state cooperation to accelerate the deployment of climate solutions to help each state achieve its climate goals.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) developed its plan with state agency partners as a way for government leaders, businesses, and citizens to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. It describes more than 100 actions, 15 of which DEP and partners analyzed quantitatively for potential greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The analysis showed that just those 15 actions, such as increasing renewable energy, incentivizing energy efficient buildings, and increasing the use of electric vehicles, would reduce emissions 21 percent by 2025. Any combination of the 85 additional actions would likely achieve even more emissions reductions.