PA Environment Digest Blog: 3 States, D.C Sign On To Regional Transportation Climate Initiative: PA Does Not Sign, But Commits To Individual Actions To Reduce Climate Changing Emissions From Transportation

Monday, December 21, 2020

3 States, D.C Sign On To Regional Transportation Climate Initiative: PA Does Not Sign, But Commits To Individual Actions To Reduce Climate Changing Emissions From Transportation

On December 21, the Governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the Mayor of the District of Columbia announced they signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to the regional Transportation Climate Initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.

TCI-P was developed through a collaboration of Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast jurisdictions, known as the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), with extensive outreach and input from thousands of people, businesses, and organizations.

Click Here for a copy of the MOU. Click Here for MOU announcement.

Pennsylvania was considering the program, but did not sign on.

Pennsylvania did join other jurisdictions in a statement outlining the next steps in the Regional Initiative saying they are committed to "...continued collaboration and individual actions to equitably reduce air pollution, create healthier communities, and invest in cleaner transportation."

Specifically, Pennsylvania and the other jurisdictions said they will--

-- Help develop a model rule and other clean transportation and emission reduction program elements that could be implemented within each jurisdiction.

-- Analyze the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on transportation and pollution and ensure the TCI-P is designed to boost our economic recovery and facilitate the future of work in a post-pandemic world.

-- All jurisdictions will conduct continued public outreach within our respective jurisdictions to ensure that emissions reductions, as well as the economic and public health benefits from future clean transportation investments, achieve equitable outcomes and directly benefit overburdened and underserved communities.

-- All TCI jurisdictions will prioritize addressing the needs of overburdened and underserved communities and take steps to ensure that all communities are able to provide meaningful input to decision-making processes.

-- Beyond the TCI-P, all jurisdictions will continue to collaborate on other state and regional strategies, including additional equitable emission reduction policies to advance our shared climate and transportation goals.

DEP Press Secretary Jamar Thrasher issued this statement on the TCI MOU and joint statement--

"Governor Wolf is supportive of cap and invest programs as a cost-effective means to reduce pollution and recognizes transportation as the third highest category of CO2 emissions in Pennsylvania.

"While the Governor did not sign on to the TCI MOU, the Wolf Administration is supportive of the effort to reduce transportation emissions within the region and will continue with several ongoing efforts to do so, as well as focusing on completing the RGGI Rulemaking to allow participation in the first RGGI auction of 2022.

"Pennsylvania will continue to support the three TCI signatory states in this effort and evaluate Pennsylvania’s involvement in the future as part of a broader strategy to provide stable long-term funding of Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure."

Click Here for a copy of the joint statement.

For more information on the Initiative, visit the Transportation Climate Initiative website.

NewsClips:

Charles Thompson: PA Holds Off On Joining Regional Program To Cap Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Vehicles By Raising Fuel Costs

Laura Legere: PA Opts Out Of Carbon Pollution Cutting Pact For Vehicles, For Now