Landmark global warming bill passed
New bill makes Maryland a global warming leader
In the recently concluded legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed a landmark new law to limit the state’s global warming pollution.
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act requires the state to reduce its global warming pollution 25 percent below 2006 levels by 2020. To achieve those reductions, the bill directs the Maryland Department of the Environment to finalize regulations by 2012.
This has been Environment Maryland’s top priority for the past two years. We combined detailed research, extensive grassroots outreach, coalition building, and countless hours working in Annapolis to pass the bill.
Maryland now joins six other states with legislative mandates to reduce global warming pollution. The 25 percent reduction is the largest commitment of any of those states. This bill will also give a boost to efforts to pass national global warming legislation.
Reducing pollution one step at a time
Last year, the bill was sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky (Prince George’s) and Delegate Kumar Barve (Montgomery). This year, Gov. Martin O’Malley gave the bill a major boost when he became another lead sponsor and included it among his legislative priorities.
Laws passed in recent years, such as the Healthy Air Act, the Clean Cars Act and the EmPower Maryland energy efficiency program, will achieve more than half of the reductions required by this bill. The remainder will be realized through measures such as smart growth policies, increased transportation choices, recycling programs, and incentives for green buildings. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change has made 42 policy recommendations on how to reduce our global warming pollution.
“This bill puts us at the forefront of the national and international effort to address the reality of global warming,” said Environment Maryland Policy Advocate Tommy Landers. “At the same time, this bill will put us ahead of the curve in the transition to an economy fueled by clean, homegrown energy.”
