News Release by the Natural Resources Council of Maine and Maine Conservation Voters
April 22, 2021 (Augusta, Maine) — Maine environmental groups say that the two-day Leaders Summit on Climate convened today by President Joe Biden has returned the United States to a position of global leadership on climate action that will deliver real benefits to Maine people and communities.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) and Maine Conservation Voters (MCV) are also praising the Biden Administration’s announcement that it will set a new goal for the United States to achieve a 50-52% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 as part of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Climate Agreement. The groups say that the federal government’s actions on climate are critical to help Maine achieve the goals it set in a statewide Climate Action Plan released in December 2020.
“Maine has showed that bold climate action is necessary to safeguard the health of Maine people and our communities, but we can’t do it alone,” said NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann. “We are grateful to the Biden Administration for making the United States a leader in clean energy manufacturing and delivering the investments necessary to recover from the pandemic stronger, reduce pollution, and create new jobs.”
“Under Governor Janet Mills’ leadership, Maine has emerged as a national climate leader, setting ambitious new climate targets, accelerating the development of clean energy sources like solar and wind, and investing in an equitable clean energy transition,” said Kathleen Meil, Director of Policy and Partnerships at MCV. “President Biden’s commitment to building back better underscores the relationship between states — the laboratories of innovation — and the nation and demonstrates that Maine has the partner we need at the federal level.”
Maine’s Congressional delegation have long championed climate solutions. Most recently, Senator Susan Collins announced she is supporting an effort by Senator Angus King to reinstate tougher standards for reducing methane, a powerful climate pollutant that is harmful to our health.
The American Jobs Plan proposed by President Biden will help the nation emerge from the pandemic stronger than before by providing critical upgrades to the nation’s crumbling infrastructure while also helping to build a clean energy economy across the United States. The investments would eliminate lead in drinking water pipes, bring high-speed internet to rural Maine, deliver lower energy costs for homeowners and businesses, modernize Maine’s transportation system by expanding access to transit and safer routes for biking and walking, expand the affordability of electric cars and trucks, and build a more reliable electric grid for Maine people.
