Draft Michigan Climate Plan Outlines Carbon Neutrality Recommendations For The State
LANSING - The Whitmer administration released a draft climate action plan for Michigan titled Draft MI Healthy Climate Plan. The release of the draft will begin a public comment period, that runs through February 14, to inform the Council on Climate Solutions’ process of finalizing its recommendations to the governor.
The following are statements from Derrell Slaughter, Michigan Clean Energy Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) who is an appointed member of the Council on Climate Solutions, as well as Abby Clark, Midwest Campaign Manager at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“The climate crisis is already degrading Michigan’s environment, hurting our economy, and threatening the health of our communities, especially low-income families,” says Derrell Slaughter, Michigan Clean Energy Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and appointed member of the Council on Climate Solutions. “The Council on Climate solutions was charged with creating an action plan that rises to the scale of the challenge. And it is essential that it reflects the needs of all Michiganders, particularly those already feeling the impacts, and communities who will suffer the most. The Council needs to engage a wider swath of communities to help improve the plan by listening to those impacted voices during the public comment process.”
“It’s exciting to see the inclusion of a stronger renewable energy standard, the call for building out charging infrastructure for 2 million electric vehicles, and for the Justice 40 initiative to be implemented, which would direct resources to disadvantaged communities in our state,” says Abby Clark, Midwest Campaign Manager at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “The plan is a good start, but we should be doing even more. The final plan should include a goal to be coal-free by 2030 or sooner and a plan to electrify our homes affordably. We must take aggressive action now to combat the climate crisis in the Great Lake State.”
Background:
The Council on Climate Solutions was created by Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-182 as an advisory body in the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Its charge is to act in an advisory capacity to the governor and the department in overseeing the MI Healthy Climate Plan by recommending opportunities for the development and implementation of emissions-reduction strategies as well as identifying solutions to resolve impact disparities for communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.
The Council consists of 14 Michigan residents appointed by the governor and representatives from the following entities: Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Public Service Commission, and the Department of Treasury.
Governor Whitmer’s order is intended to combat the climate crisis by ensuring that Michigan pursues and achieves its carbon neutrality as effectively and equitably as possible.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.