Thread by @TennantReed

Watching side event "Further, Faster, Together: State-Federal Partnership" at the US Center at #COP26 .
Feat. Massachusetts rep for US Climate Alliance.
State leadership was v important in absence of Fed leadership. Ma put politics aside to grow clean energy economy, leg targets.

Ma: State climate leaders were relieved when Biden Admin renewed climate leadership, but now have to run faster and build durable solutions.
Climate can't be a political issue, has to be American and global.

Ma: introduces speakers:
David Ige, Hawaii Governor @GovHawaii
Jay Inslee, Washington Governor @GovInslee
Kate Brown, Oregon Governor @OregonGovBrown
Moderator: Michael Regan, EPA Administrator @EPAMichaelRegan

Regan: US moving more aggressively than ever before to tackle climate. Whole of government, from DoD to EPA, all rowing together to clean energy future.
EPA has strong role. Aggressive action on clean cars program, HFC super pollutants, O&G methane

Regan: We recognise we all need to work together and no single entity can do it alone.
As former North Carolina enviro regulator I know how important local actors are.
Governors have seen climate impacts first hand, understand need for swift bold action.

Regan: I'm focussed from day one on rebalancing relationship with the States. Meeting communities to assess their needs.
BBB Agenda will make strong partnership even more important, with resources to deepen on climate, infra, EJ, training.

Regan: States are laboratories of innovation. Many of you are leading with new plans. We see vision and are inspired. Will leverage your expertise to go further faster stronger.

Ige: Aloha! Islands are on the front lines of climate change, the canaries in the coal mine. Our people are of all ethnicities but all close to nature and committed to stewarding our islands. Up we see green, out we see blue, and we're concerned by what we are experiencing.

Ige: Huge 'rain bomb' events on Kauai. We can't rely on immediate aid from elsewhere - we need our own solutions. In that sense we're like the Earth - can't wait for help from beyond, must solve climate ourselves

Ige: Hawaii was first US state to commit to 100% clean electricity. We knew we had to get there, before we knew how. Same with 1.5C. Net zero is not good enough; end state is to take out more than we put it, withdraw carbon from our atmosphere. in 2018 we committed to net neg '45

Ige: Leading by example and racing to zero; will retire our last coal plant by end 2022 and replacing with battery storage and solar. Prepping to retire oil-fired generators, and switching cars to EV by 2035.

Ige: Also tackling hardest problems: aviation. Electric planes for local and sustainable fuels for transocean.

We've seen how rapidly we can improve local air quality and refresh local oceans. If we give nature the opportunity it will help us more than we realise.

Ige: I committed Hawaii towards the global 1 Trillion Tree initiative.
The race beyond zero is more of a relay - do our part and pass baton to other states and Feds. When we have the baton we can go faster. Glad to work in partnership with Biden Admin and other States.

Next: Jay Inslee: Ige has led with single most ambitious early commitment to RE.
Welcomes Regan. EPA started with William Ruckelshaus, good Nixon appointee.
EPA needs to be renamed. We're in a climate crisis. Oceans acidifying. Forests burning down. Wheat yields down this year.

Jay: EPA protects our economy as much as our environment from these effects.

Clean energy revolution is an opportunity. States in this alliance have the fastest growth in the US.
Designing electric airplanes; new batteries; electric bus manufacturing in Wa. Building new economy.

Jay: USA inherits a brilliant system - States can be ahead of the Feds, can do things that US Congress can't. eg 100% clean grid standard. Welcomes Admin guarantee of $500b to support!
Cap & Investt system - can't have nationally yet, can do in Wa.

Jay: States are not a weakness but a strength of US.

2050 commitments are good but we need action right now. Further, faster, today.
Intros Gov Kate Brown and praises efforts on affordable electric cars

KB: Inslee is godfather to the progressive governors leading on climate!
Welcomes Regan, it's been a hard four years but the Federal Government is back.
Coastal states also getting hit by climate, especially communities of color, low income and rural. Undocumented struggling.

KB: Oregon stepped up to help undocumented families and needs help.
June 2021 we had a heat dome event across PNW, 3 days of 116F/46C. Lost hundreds of people dying in their homes. Can upgrade homes to be cooler in summer/warmer in winter with clean energy heat pumps.

KB: we will be first to completely eliminate coal power, by 100% clean by 2040.
Also working to center underserved communities. Efforts focussing on:
Low/moderate income families EV rebate for new and used vehicles, $7500.

KB: Excited by Bipartisan Infrastructure Package which will help communities around nation
Other piece: historically underserved communities access to best job training programs.

KB: Columbia River Gorge, wind capital (I hope) of US: Columbia Gorge Community College wind turbine training program is an exemplar.

Need is urgent to act now and go faster than ever, in partnership locally, federally, globally.

Regan moderates panel:
Q: can you tell us more about how climate is impacting your residents?

Ige: impacts often hit our most vulnerable. Rainfall events damaged traditional taro growing by our people. State wasn't ready to assist restoration, had to work with private nonprofits

Ige: takes 18-24 months to get taro production back. Traditional practices make it difficult to build resilience.

Jay: Democrats and Republicans both like to breathe. But in Wa we couldn't - wildfire smoke gave us the dirtiest air in the world last summer. Air so thick it damaged walls and carpets when you opened the door.

Jay: Meanwhile air quality in communities by freeways and industry is causing asthma in children. Breathing is pretty fundamental!

KB: in Southern Oregon we had 1500 wells run dry last summer, needed to truck in water to communities. First Nations have worked to recreate first foods diet, salmon, huckleberries; but struggling to access, must go further and higher. Impacting culture, health, way of life

KB: So important we have a federal partner who works with us, supports, and pushes us to go further.

Regan: what does effective Fed-State partnership look like? What can Feds do to leverage States?
KB: glad you're looking to States when adopting policies - eg NM methane policy, Wa climate policy. Important to have more consistent framework for engagement

Jay: more effective partnership for governors is the Feds send us billions and we spend it.
[laughter]
States need to put skin in the game. When DoE wanted to act in Wa, we put in big money too.
Praises Biden efforts.

Ige: Federal resource to help leverage State resources. We've programs on diesel engine modifications; fed funds can speed electric charging stations; partnership can help electrify bus fleet.

KB: recognises US congresswoman who helped get infra bill through.
Electric mass transit program wouldn't have happened without Federal leadership.

Regan: President has pledged enviro justice and racial equity will be central. What does that look like in your state?
Jay: we passed a bill that requires all State agencies to measure equity effects of all budget proposals that impact energy/environment.

Jay: funds from our Cap & Invest pool go in part to low income communities and tribal communities. For so long they've got the short end of the stick. Hope that Feds get C&I eventually and can do likewise

KB: legislative council is advising me on equity, and we're implementing equtiy impact statements for every legislative proposal in Oregon.
But not enough. Agency leadership need to reflect breadth of community, and so do staff, and legislature.

KB: 20 years ago we put a public surcharge on utility bill. Those $ go to low income Oregonians for home weatherisation. Win win to reduce low income energy bills, and conserve energy.

Ige: Leadership: 52% of leadership in our climate crisis commission are female and 70% rep native Hawaiian and Asian communities.
Committed to closing coal plant in Hawaii by end 2022; it's in a minority community and we know the enviro impacts that brings.

Ige: we have a fund to assist low income households to put solar on their roofs and pay them off through lower bills.

Regan: Bipartisan Infrastructure Package is part of getting things done, but we still need to pass Build Back Better. How do governors get things done?
Ige: Greening is not partisan. We get nearly unanimous support in Hawaii. We're one planet, can go further together than alone

Jay: We need to eliminate the filibuster. [applause]
Vast majority of Americans want action on climate. Well over 60%.
But we only have one party putting shoulders to the wheel as a group.
That's unfortunate. It's not the case with liberals and conservative in UK, Europe, Latam.

Jay: we need to extend our hands and take on ideas that Republicans offer. That includes Cap & Invest which was a Republican idea in the early 1980s.

KB: In Oregon we struggle to get Republican support for climate initiatives. We tried to legislate cap & invest, Republican legislators left the state to shut legislature down.
So I used executive authority to cap and reduce carbon emissions. Will use every tool in the box.

KB: But challenging when you are trying to use science and data that opponents ignore.

Regan: Why should we be optimistic?
KB: we have so many young people across US & world who understand that climate change is personal and won't let us down.

Jay: because we have Administrator Regan working for us! [laughter]
Being optimistic is a survival strategy that works. Don't believe that humans will be the agents of our own destruction. We'll surmount the frustrastion we've all felt for decades.

Ige: Agree with KB; our children get it. They learn the science and follow it. They're demanding action and social media give them a bigger louder voice than ever.

Regan: the President shares this optimism. The crisis is an opportunity for jobs investment improved public health and equity.

/ends