(C) Minnesota Reformer
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Inaction at COP28 should motivate us to act locally [1]
['More From Author', 'February', 'Joe Harrington']
Date: 2024-02-08
The recent UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai culminated with the UAE Consensus, a framework heralded by conference leaders for acknowledging fossil fuel’s role in climate change and calling for reductions in use.
This was widely heralded as a success, but the agreement merely recognizes a long established scientific consensus, while failing to deliver actionable steps to phase out fossil fuels. Efforts for climate finance, carbon markets and protecting frontline communities also fell short, resulting in little more than a status quo outcome dressed up in a splashy package.
The conference’s glamorous venue in a city built on oil felt far removed from the urgency of climate change threats facing Minnesota and the world. Delegates mingled among country pavilions, industry panels, demos of high tech interventions, and politicians patting themselves on the back for past green initiatives. An atmosphere of optimism for ambitious action gave way to a frenzied effort to get a deal — any deal — passed, leaving many environmental advocates and developing countries unhappy with the outcome.
With climate policy on the global scale failing to deliver ambition and action, at least for the time being, collective local efforts will be critical in creating meaningful mitigation and adaptation solutions here at home.
If the Midwest were its own country, we would be the world’s 5th largest greenhouse gas emitter, meaning we have a critical role to play in reducing emissions to meet national and global targets. This necessitates action at the state and local scale to address climate change and reduce emissions in our region.
While Minnesota and the Midwest can’t solve climate change on our own, taking action will still benefit us. Reducing emissions will create local environmental and human health benefits, especially for urban communities living along highways. In Minnesota, our natural environment, ecosystems and agricultural traditions that define our state are threatened by climate change. We need to act to protect lives and livelihoods. Even without global agreement, local action would allow us to breathe cleaner air, swim and fish in cleaner water, and mitigate pollution’s disproportionate impacts on vulnerable Minnesotan communities.
Economically, Minnesota also stands to gain through climate leadership. Huge public investments — such as the Inflation Reduction Act — will bring federal dollars to our state for climate initiatives. Transitioning to clean energy and energy efficiency will sustain 100,000 jobs in Minnesota by 2030, with many more opportunities across fields, from trades to finance. Renewables are now a cheaper energy source than fossil fuels in the U.S., giving us more reason to dump coal and eventually gas. As we compete with other U.S. and international regions for climate investment and R&D spending, we must position Minnesota as an environmental leader and become a hotbed for green economic development.
Public opinion also favors climate action at the state and local scale. According to the research conducted by the Yale program on climate change communications, 59% of Hennepin and 58% of Ramsey county residents support our governor doing more to combat climate change. Local action is even more popular, with 61% of Hennepin and Ramsey residents supporting a municipal climate response. Beyond the Twin Cities, public opinion on state and local action is 50% or greater statewide.
Indeed, our state showed up for global climate coordination at COP28. Minnesota was represented by nearly 50 delegates, including academics, activists, policy makers, students, teachers and industry reps, directly engaging with global climate governance and leveraging this experience to create solutions at home.
At the state level, we already demonstrate ambition in creating environmental policy. The new Carbon Free Electricity Standard includes state targets for 100% clean energy by 2040 and carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan includes specific action steps to accomplish these goals and measure progress in a variety of areas such as transportation, energy, climate-smart industry and community health.
Our local governments are making strides for resiliency too. This includes creating local climate action plans, as in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It also includes work at the Metropolitan Council to map urban heat and tree canopy, inventory greenhouse gas emissions, and incorporate climate principles in our regional development guide.
Other significant milestones include the new framework to address low-income Minnesotans’ disproportionate exposure to pollutants.
In many ways, these local and state initiatives are more ambitious and actionable than global climate action taken at COP. We need to leverage these successes to reduce emissions and address other local environmental challenges, from wildfire smoke to the urban heat island effect. We should also engage in regional and national climate coordination to share approaches and insights for addressing challenges beyond Minnesota.
As we roll out these climate change policies, we have the opportunity to be a regional, national and global leader in creating an equitable and climate-resilient future. We have a responsibility to prioritize communities of color and low-income communities that traditionally bear the burden of environmental pollution and degradation in Minnesota, threats that will be exacerbated by climate change.
The lack of meaningful action at Cop28 in Dubai only emphasizes the urgency for Minnesota to respond to global and local climate threats. While we can’t solve a global challenge on our own, state and local actions are crucial in protecting vulnerable communities and positioning ourselves to compete for climate investment.
Let’s demonstrate Midwest climate leadership by advocating for ambitious climate action this legislative session and at city councils.
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[1] Url:
https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/02/08/inaction-at-cop28-should-motivate-us-to-act-locally/
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