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Published on January 21, 2025
NY Governor Hochul and NM Governor Lujan Grisham Vow to Honor Paris Agreement, Set Ambitious Climate Goals for US Climate AllianceSource: Wikipedia/Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a bold move reinforcing state-level commitment to the environment, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, co-chairs of the US Climate Alliance, penned a letter to the United Nations signifying their resolve to fight climate change. The duo, representing a bipartisan group of governors from across the country, expressed in no uncertain terms their intention to uphold America’s obligations to the Paris Agreement. "We will continue America’s work to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and slash climate pollution,” affirmed the governors in their correspondence, as detailed in a release by Governor Hochul's office.

With a pointed focus on their collective achievements, the Climate Alliance is poised to meet their near-future climate objectives, aiming to boldly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. This ambitious target parallels the 19 percent reduction already attained from 2005 to 2022, simultaneously coinciding with a collective GDP growth of 30 percent. The states and territories under the Alliance's umbrella seemingly manage to outperform the rest of the nation by not only fostering more clean energy jobs but also by achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants.

The governors highlighted their broad authority under the U.S. Constitution to pursue innovative climate solutions independent of federal influence. According to the letter released by Governor Hochul's office, policies in place include "statewide and regional carbon markets, 100 percent clean energy standards, and methane reduction programs," among other actions aimed at securing a net-zero future. States are investing billions to cut down pollution and sustain the burgeoning clean energy sector.

The Alliance is committed to sharing their progress at the global scale, intending to present their undertakings at the upcoming COP30 in Brazil. The annual report, delineating the group's substantive climate action, was shared with Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, as an indication of their dedication to transparency. "We will not turn our back on America's commitments. For our health and our future, we will press forward,” Governors Hochul and Lujan Grisham jointly asserted, their declaration made clear in the statement released by Governor Hochul's office.