Climate quotes that defined 2021

Climate quotes that defined 2021

As 2021 comes to a close, we have much to celebrate and be grateful for. The year is bookended by two very momentous climate occasions – in January 2021, President Biden re-joined the Paris Agreement on day one of taking office and in November 2021, after years of discussion and debate, the international community committed to rules for a new international carbon market at COP26.

Thank you to all the climate champions that worked to advance climate solutions throughout the year. 2021 climate highlights include a growing focus on racial and climate equity, raising ambition and taking action, and carbon pricing solutions. Here are the climate quotes that defined 2021 for us:

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“The call for climate justice has multiple dimensions, from ensuring an equitable transition to clean energy for vulnerable communities and workers disrupted by the move away from fossil fuels, to extending the benefits of our economy-wide shift to those who have historically been left behind. Even more than past environmental challenges, decarbonizing will not be a narrow, technical undertaking. We need a holistic, justice-centered perspective to shape our vision for a green economy and meet the pervasive environmental and socioeconomic challenges and opportunities ahead.”

“We have been abusing our planet as if we had a spare one. 2021 must be the year to reconcile humanity with nature. With smart policies & investments, we can chart a path that brings health to all, revives economies & builds resilience.”

“We’ve already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis. We can’t wait any longer. We see it with our own eyes, we feel it. We know it in our bones. And it’s time to act. When I think of climate change and the answers to it, I think of jobs. These are not pie-in-the-sky dreams — these are concrete solutions. We are talking about American innovation, products, labor. We are talking about the health of our families, cleaner water, cleaner air … and the health of our communities. It is a future with enormous hope and opportunities.”

“The finance and agriculture sectors, and coastal economies, all are looking down the barrel of multiple and serious economic crash warnings. Their climate concerns have moved from their communications shops to their business operations and C-suites. Now they just need to align their political effort with their own stated policies. How hard is that?… The conditions are at last in place for a real solution. A new dawn is breaking, and there’s no need for my little candle against the darkness — my little pilot light can now go out. So instead of urging that it’s time to wake up, I close this long run by saying it’s now time to get to work.”

“Our responsibilities are to protect the health and environment of all Americans, including those historically marginalized, overburdened, underserved, and living with the legacy of structural racism…EPA has defined environmental justice as ‘the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.’ To succeed, we must infuse equity and environmental justice principles and priorities into all EPA practices, policies, and programs.

“While EPA has advanced environmental justice initiatives in the past, we have much more work to do. Too many communities whose residents are predominantly of color, Indigenous, or low-income continue to suffer from disproportionately high pollution levels and the resulting adverse health and environmental impacts. We must do better.”

“Job growth means green growth. One of the most effective ways to stimulate investment in our green transformation is through a price on pollution. Pricing pollution is not only cost effective, but drives down emissions and creates conditions for new innovation that grows the clean economy and will create jobs today—and long into the future.”

“We know we need to not only right historical wrongs across the state and across the nation. But empowering communities of color to craft solutions and lead at the local level, may be our best chance for solving this issue.”

“We must take concerted, nationwide action to address climate change. It’s one climate. We need to put politics aside and act as we watch its changes play out… States and cities are on the front lines of the climate crisis. But this is a problem that knows no borders. Climate change is playing out here now, with a fury, but it will be in your backyard next. People are dying. Congress must act, now.”

“Article 6 is vital to the success of the Paris Agreement because it enables ambition. The temperature goals set out in the agreement will only be realised if countries cooperate across borders and sectors, leveraging the innovation, ingenuity and investment of the private sector.

“Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, the business community has urged nations to complete the accounting and integrity guidelines for international market cooperation. In order to reach the Paris goals, we need to scale up private investment through carbon markets as soon as possible.”

“We’re standing at an inflection point in world history. Cleaner air for our children. More bountiful oceans. Healthier forests and ecosystems for our planet. We can create an environment that raises the standard of living around the world. And this is a moral imperative, but this is also an economic imperative.”

“1.5C is the new 2C. The final decision reflects the intention to keep 1.5C not just alive, but front and centre of our efforts.”

“Innovate, accelerate, scale. When it comes to the climate crisis – winning slowly is the same as losing. To rebuild the world, we need to innovate, accelerate, and scale bold climate solutions.”


Spanish translations of the Reserve Offset Program Manual and the Verification Program Manual are now available

Spanish translations of the Reserve Offset Program Manual and the Verification Program Manual are now available


SAVE THE DATE: Join us for the North American Carbon World conference on April 6-8, 2022 in Anaheim, California

SAVE THE DATE: Join us for the North American Carbon World conference on April 6-8, 2022 in Anaheim, California


Join us Thursday, December 2 for the Mexico Forest Protocol V3.0 Workgroup Meeting 4: Mangrove

Join us Thursday, December 2 for the Mexico Forest Protocol V3.0 Workgroup Meeting 4: Mangrove


Join us Thursday, November 18 for the Mexico Forest Protocol V3.0 Workgroup Meeting 3: Forest Inventory

Join us Thursday, November 18 for the Mexico Forest Protocol V3.0 Workgroup Meeting 3: Forest Inventory


Recordings of the first Biochar Protocol workgroup meetings are now available

Recordings of the first Biochar Protocol workgroup meetings are now available


Check out recordings of Reserve-TCR COP26 official UN events & Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion events

Check out recordings of Reserve-TCR COP26 official UN events & Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion events


Join our team! We’re hiring for VP of Policy and Reserve Administrator.

Join our team! We’re hiring for VP of Policy and Reserve Administrator.


Join us Nov 16 for a follow up mtg of the Biochar Protocol workgroup to continue discussions concerning relevant protocol criteria

Join us Nov 16 for a follow up mtg of the Biochar Protocol workgroup to continue discussions concerning relevant protocol criteria


The Climate Registry and Climate Action Reserve to Bring Largest U.S. Subnational Delegation Ever to COP26

The Climate Registry and Climate Action Reserve to Bring Largest U.S. Subnational Delegation Ever to COP26

LOS ANGELES, California – October 27, 2021 – The Climate Registry (TCR) and the Climate Action Reserve (Reserve) are hosting the largest bipartisan delegation of U.S. states ever at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, Scotland. The delegation also includes seven governors — the largest number of governors ever attending COP. States with governors or other officials attending include California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.

TCR and the Reserve are also hosting the Pathways to 1.5 pavilion. Over the course of COP26, government and business leaders will gather at the pavilion to discuss key issues such as:

  • Policies, practices and pathways that are driving results – including building healthier and more resilient communities and creating jobs — on the road to net zero;
  • How U.S. states are collaborating with each other and with other countries, cities and the business community to meet the carbon reduction targets laid out in the Paris Agreement; and,
  • Increasing climate ambition at the national and subnational levels.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to effectively mitigate climate change. The actions we take in the next five years will determine the fate of our species. That’s why I’m leading a global coalition of governors and mayors to go beyond pledges. At Glasgow, we will chart a path to make tangible, meaningful progress to slash greenhouse gas emissions,” said Governor Jay Inslee of Washington state. “We know we need to cut emissions in half by 2030 and get to net-zero by 2050. Now is the time for leaders to buckle down and get it done.”

“The time for bold, decisive and equitable action on climate is now, and that requires that everyone come to the table,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. “I am proud to represent the United States alongside other national leaders on the world stage as together, we push toward solutions to the most pressing issue of our time.”

“Last summer was the hottest on record in Oregon, and prior to that we were hit by unseasonably harsh ice and wind storms. It’s only going to get worse if we don’t take immediate action,” said Governor Kate Brown of Oregon. “We are working to lead the way in Oregon, but this is a problem that knows no borders. It’s up to all of us at COP26 to do something about climate change, and to build a more just and equitable future for all.”

“As a state surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Hawaiʻi is on the forefront of the climate crisis,” said Governor David Ige of Hawaiʻi. “Our communities are vulnerable to the effects of sea-level rise and erosion, which threaten our homes and way of life. Hawaiʻi has aggressively fought to combat the climate crisis – but we know there is still more to be done. I look forward to working with other leaders at COP26 to go all in to address the climate crisis and create a better future for ourselves, and our keiki (children).”

“No state in our nation is more affected by climate change than Louisiana, but we are also strongly positioned to be part of the solution to the problems facing our world,” said Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana. “In Glasgow, we will have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, representing different governments, but also corporations and different sectors of the clean energy movement. I want world leaders to know that Louisiana has a workforce that makes essential products that drive the global economy, and a workforce that is ready to make those products but with a greater reduced carbon footprint. We will focus on securing new investments for economic development, job creation and greenhouse gas reductions to navigate through the energy transition and to a better, cleaner future.”

“We can’t outrun or hide from climate change. The time for action is now,” said Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois. “We’re making progress in Illinois: I recently signed comprehensive, equitable, nation-leading climate legislation into law. But we must take the next step together and push for action on the world stage. I’m proud to represent Illinois and the Midwest at COP26 and eager to promote the international action needed to combat the climate crisis.”

“From catastrophic wildfires to severe drought to record high temperatures, California is on the front lines of the climate emergency ravaging communities around the globe,” said Governor Gavin Newsom of California. “As the fifth largest economy in the world, California has played an outsized role in advancing bold solutions to protect people and the planet, but we can’t meet the challenges of this crisis alone. At COP26, California will showcase our pioneering renewable and zero-emission solutions and urge more states and nations to join us and take urgent action tackling the climate crisis head-on – none of us can afford to delay.”

“We are in the decade of climate action. Subnational and private sector leadership is essential to decarbonize the global economy and meet the Paris Agreement goals,” said Amy Holm, Executive Director of The Climate Registry. “We are thrilled to host the largest delegation of U.S. states in the history of COP and provide a platform for U.S. leaders to go further, faster together on climate action.”

“It’s been plain and simple for years – we need to address the climate crisis immediately. We’re at a point now, though, where we can’t keep repeating this line for years to come and not follow it with action. The governors and other climate leaders in our delegation have committed to climate action and they are bringing that message and the hope of further collaboration to COP26,” said Craig Ebert, President of the Climate Action Reserve. “This is the largest, most important delegation we’ve hosted, and it’s because more fellow citizens have joined to say we need to address the climate crisis immediately.”

The TCR-Reserve joint delegation is carbon neutral.

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About The Climate Registry and Climate Action Reserve Joint Delegation
The Climate Action Reserve and The Climate Registry have led joint delegations to COP for over a decade, beginning with COP13 in Bali in 2007.
www.copdelegation.org

About The Climate Registry
The Climate Registry (TCR) is a non-profit organization that empowers North American organizations to act on climate change by providing services and tools that help them reduce their emissions. TCR also drives climate action and ambition on the road to net zero by recognizing and showcasing sub-national leadership, and building strategic partnerships with and between national and international entities. TCR is advised by a Council of Jurisdictions that includes representatives from diverse U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories.
www.theclimateregistry.org

About the Climate Action Reserve
The Climate Action Reserve is an environmental nonprofit organization that promotes and fosters the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through credible market-based policies and solutions. A pioneer in carbon accounting, the Reserve serves as an approved Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the State of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and also establishes high quality standards for offset projects in the North American voluntary carbon market and operates a transparent, publicly-accessible registry for carbon credits generated under its standards. The Reserve is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California with satellite offices around the U.S.
www.climateactionreserve.org