After more than a year of work, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission just voted to adopt a new Climate Protection Program (CPP) regulation that holds major fossil fuel and industrial polluters accountable. This new regulation will set a mandatory declining cap on climate pollution released from transportation, buildings and industrial sectors in Oregon. It will cut greenhouse gas emissions from these sources by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050.
This means, for the first time, the state’s biggest oil companies, gas utilities, industrial processes and other major fossil fuel sources will be held responsible for reigning in their major share of climate pollution. The Climate Protection Program will lead to less climate and air pollution and a faster transition to clean energy sources and electric cars, trucks, buses and heat pumps. This is a major victory for environmental, climate justice, and public health advocates, in addition to everyone and everything who breathes Oregon's air.
Join us in thanking Gov. Kate Brown and the Environmental Quality Commissioners
NOTE: Our friends at Renew Oregon are leading this write-in effort; clicking the button above will take you to their website.
Your Climate Solutions Oregon team and our allies from across the state have been showing up at committee meetings, hearings, and other venues to bring this program (formerly known as "cap-and-reduce") along in the best way possible for our climate. We'd also like to thank the hundreds of you who submitted public testimony throughout this process, urging DEQ to close loopholes and make these proposed rules as robust as possible.
There is more to do, to ensure gas plants in Oregon can’t export their fossil fuels and emissions out of state; to ensure the transition to renewable energy and electrification of our transportation and buildings sectors centers frontline communities and creates good quality jobs; to ensure there are complementary policies and programs that drive this transition faster and create resilient communities in the face of the climate crisis. We’re incredibly grateful for all you’ve done to get us to this point. Today, we celebrate and reflect, and tomorrow, we continue the fight for a livable and thriving Oregon for everyone.
