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December 21, 2020 (BOSTON, MA) – State leaders announced the details of the Transportation and Climate Initiative today. The regional pact is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“TCI has the potential to fill a glaring gap in transportation funding and to reduce emissions, but it has been fraught by a process that too often ignored community concerns,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “While today’s agreement includes important equity commitments, it is the next steps that matter most. CLF can only support this program if these commitments become enforceable policies and truly additive investments in climate and the communities suffering most from air pollution and lack of transportation options.”
Going forward, CLF will push state leaders to establish secure TCI funding and enforceable protections for communities that have borne the brunt of climate risks, poor air quality, and disinvested transportation systems for decades. CLF will also push for stronger emission reduction requirements.
The Transportation and Climate Initiative is intended to reduce transportation emissions by setting a cap on emissions, requiring fuel suppliers to purchase emission allowances, and using the proceeds from allowance sales to fund clean transportation projects. The agreement announced today is supported by the District of Columbia and Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, three of the thirteen states that participated in the TCI negotiations.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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