Virginia Becomes Latest US State To Commit To Action On Climate Change

State joins Under2 Coalition of subnational governments committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and meeting the Paris Agreement

Virginia has recently become the latest US state to commit to action on climate change, becoming a member of the Under2 Coalition of leading sub-national governments at a side event hosted during the 23^rd UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn.

Led by states and regions internationally, the Coalition, for which The Climate Group acts as Secretariat, brings together signatories and endorsers of the Under2 MOU from across 39 countries to fight climate change and support the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming below 2°C. The Coalition now represents over 1.2 billion people and 39% of the global economy ($US29.4T).

At a ceremony attended by Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, COP 23 Special Advisor for States Regions California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and other member governments, Virginia became the 11th US state to join the Coalition, alongside California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York State, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. As the US federal government steps away from the Paris Agreement, Virginia joining the Coalition is further evidence of state and regional governments both in the US and globally, uniting to help drive climate action forward.

In recent months, Virginia has expanded efforts to cut emissions. On Tuesday, Virginia released a draft regulation under Governor McAuliffe’s Executive Directive that is aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the electric sector by thirty percent between 2020 and 2030. The draft regulatory program will enable Virginia to link to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which will increase investment in clean energy resources.

At the event, Governor Terry McAuliffe, Virginia, said: “Virginia is driving clean energy investment and carbon reduction despite the President’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“In the absence of leadership in Washington, Virginia is stepping up to sign the Under2 Memorandum of Understanding. Virginia will meet the challenge of climate change head on, and we will do so in a way that grows our clean energy sector and supports our new Virginia economy.”

Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, secretariat for the Coalition said: "It is great to see another US state ready and willing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by committing to the Under2 Coalition. This is another example of the strong leadership on climate action that we’ve seen from US states over the past few months, despite the position of the federal government.

“We hope that more sub-national governments around the world take up such ambitious climate action.”

COP 23 Special Advisor for States Regions California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. said: "The state of Virginia is joining a global force of states, regions and cities to combat dangerous global warming."

Virginia becomes 189^th government to join The Coalition. Signatories and endorsers commitment to limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80-95% on 1990 levels, or to two metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per capita annually, by 2050.

The Climate Group has been at the forefront of state and regional climate leadership for over a decade. At COP23, the international not-for-profit announced the Governors and Premiers who will lead the Under2 Coalition in 2018: Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg; Edmund G. Brown Jr. Governor of California; Aristotoles Sandoval, Governor of Jalisco; Willes Mchunu, Premier of Kwa-Zulu Natal; Philippe Couillard, Premier of Québec; Jay Weatherill, Premier of South Australia.

About The Climate Group
The Climate Group works internationally with leading businesses, states and regions to deliver a world of net zero greenhouse gas emissions and greater prosperity for all. We are at the forefront of ambitious climate action. Our focus is on collaborative programs with corporate and government partners that deliver impact on a global scale. The Climate Group stimulates action by businesses, states and regions, bringing them together to develop and implement the policies that make change happen. We also communicate their achievements to secure global public acceptance of, and even greater ambition for, a prosperous, net-zero future for all. The Climate Group is an international non-profit with offices in Beijing, London, New Delhi and New York. For more information, visit www.theclimategroup.org.

About The Under2 Coalition
Under2 is a leading coalition of ambitious sub-national governments committed to supporting delivery of the Paris Agreement and keeping global temperature rises to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Led by states and regions internationally, the Coalition brings together signatories and endorsers of the Under2 MOU, a commitment to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80-95% on 1990 levels, or to two metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per capita annually, by 2050.

The Climate Group is Secretariat to the Under2 Coalition and works with signatories to accelerate the pace of climate action. The Under2 Coalition includes more than 185 jurisdictions, representing over 1.2 billion people and a third of the global economy.

The Under2 Coalition’s initiatives are delivered through three, inter-connected work streams, which seek to accelerate and scale climate action by state and regional governments:

• Deep decarbonization pathway planning: supporting governments to develop robust medium and long-term (2050) emissions reduction plans in line with the Paris Climate Agreement goal of keeping the rise in global temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius of warming.
• Scaling innovative policy solutions: replicating and spreading today’s best policies to accelerate climate action, and developing new policies to ensure full decarbonization over the longer-term.
• Mainstreaming transparency and reporting: supporting governments so they have the expertise and systems in place to assess their emissions accurately, track progress and ensure policies remain fit for delivering against decarbonization targets.

For more information, visit: www.under2mou.org.