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Electricity system operators balance supply and demand precisely at every moment of every day through market design grounded in economic principles. As the share of variable renewable resources like wind and solar electricity on our electricity system increases, system operators, policy makers and energy market regulators are facing new questions on how to design the …

To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, companies must reduce their reliance on diesel-powered trucks to move goods – and they must act quickly. Transportation is expected to be the largest source of new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through 2050, and a major driver of dangerous air pollution, which is disproportionately concentrated in low …

Innovation funds and labs have long been in practice. Private companies have used various vehicles to spark innovation and incubate new products or services for decades. Today we’re watching as environmental challenges become more severe, urgent and prolific. Pressure is on to find solutions and deploy them more quickly than ever before. We must take …

A prediction: 2021 will be the year that Wall Street rethinks its relationship with K Street. With corporate political spending and lobbying under increasing scrutiny and a new administration advancing financially material, government-wide climate action, financial institutions have good reason to reassess their climate lobbying. While some banks and asset managers have pushed for climate-friendly …

ESG: Using finance to drive real change

As stakeholder demand for climate leadership surges and as the business benefits of climate action become clear, executives are increasingly embracing net zero by 2050 as the new business imperative. This means setting net zero by 2050 goals, and turning these pledges into progress. As the Transform to Net Zero initiative stated in its position …

McDonald’s and Environmental Defense Fund’s collaboration began three decades ago, when we partnered in an effort to reduce solid waste from the company’s restaurants. The results? Over the next decade, McDonald’s eliminated more than 300 million pounds of packaging (including the polystyrene clamshells), recycled 1 million tons of corrugated boxes and reduced restaurant waste by 30%, while …

The urgency for companies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles is underscored as demand for e-commerce, and with it last-mile deliveries, soars. The result: more fossil-fuel based trucks on the road that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions worsening air pollution. Companies are setting ambitious climate goals, and zero-emissions shipping will be critical for hitting …

The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) might not be a household name, but electricity customers across Texas have plenty of reason to be thankful for its latest actions. Recently, the PUC has made some key decisions to protect Texas’ competitive electricity markets and make sure all Texans have access to affordable and clean electric energy.

Last summer, Texas’ electric grid was put to the test by scorching temperatures that sent power demand soaring and raised the specter of potential brownouts. Thankfully, the grid did what it was designed to do and pulled through without any major issues. This week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas released its projection for how …

As Texans contend with the threat of the COVID-19 virus and an economic downturn, the state’s Public Utility Commission has adopted a proposal to prevent customers from having their power shut off in the midst of the current crisis. Chairman DeAnn Walker initially put forward a set of policies on Tuesday to protect the state’s …

This post was co-authored by Alexander Golub, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science at American University. Shutterstock For companies that are large emitters of greenhouse gases, uncertainty about policies to address climate change can be a real challenge. But our new paper in the journal Energy shows how companies that invest now in a novel approach to climate mitigation could …

Earlier this month, EDF’s Office of Chief Economist hosted a virtual fireside chat with Jason Bordoff, Professor of Professional Practice and Founding Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and Marianne Kah, an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar and Advisory Board member at the Center. Prior to joining Columbia, Bordoff had served in the …

New research building on Nobel Prize winner Nordhaus’ past contributions shows reaching UN climate targets is a good investment for the planet Two years ago William Nordhaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his pioneering work on “integrated assessment modeling” (IAM) and his Dynamic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy (DICE)—a framework …

Strong emissions trading system prices encourage and facilitate climate action but also reflect private sector confidence in governments’ commitments to long-term transformation. Every evening in my Brooklyn neighborhood we come out onto our stoops with our children, dogs, bells, horns and pots (my contribution – inspired by the Colombian cacerolazos I witnessed protesting – non-violently,

A shift in ambition, narrative, global cooperation and likely support for mitigation in least-developed countries The announcement by President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly last month makes me optimistic. First, on its own, achievement of this goal will contribute to a reduction in expected future temperature by 0.2 to 0.3 degrees.  Second, having …

This post is a collaboration with Yana Jin Since 2013, the Chinese government has changed its approach to regulating pollution, including providing the public greater access to information about their own exposure. This increased visibility into pollution exposure can affect citizens’ perceptions of how pollution affects their own health, and their desire to avoid these …

This blog post was co-authored with Nina Donaldson Much of the existing research on climate change impacts focuses on end-of-century projections across nations, but this misses the very real costs that everyday Americans are already facing daily and will continue to face in the months and years ahead. Case in point today: While most Americans …

An EDF analysis of carbon credits for rice growers shows great climate and cost-savings potential, but is that enough for farmers to participate? In 2015, rice became the first crop for which agricultural carbon credits were valid for compliance in the California cap-and-trade system. Unfortunately, as of September 2020, no compliance credits have been generated.

A case study of MFA Inc. shows how conservation can support the bottom line. The post “Success first.” How one ag retailer is helping farmers adopt conservation practices, profitably. first appeared on Growing Returns.

A new report released this week by AECOM, the world’s premiere infrastructure firm, and Rebuild by Design, a community-focused organization advocating for resilient infrastructure, offers hope for recovery for the Empire State as it demonstrates how investments in the environment can help New York not only build lasting climate resilience but also create jobs at a time when they are desperately needed. The post New York’s environmental bond can deliver lasting resilience and create jobs first appeared on Growing Returns.

New report details how soil health practices like cover crops and no-till affect farm budgets. The post Farm budget analysis finds 3 ways conservation affects the bottom line first appeared on Growing Returns.

After winning on the strongest climate platform of any major party presidential nominee in history, the Biden-Harris administration has a mandate to confront the existential crisis of climate change. This blog series explores what it will take to restore and strengthen climate leadership both across the country and on the global stage. Of the many …

After 10 hearings with over 400 voices from across Pennsylvania, and tens of thousands of written comments, the result is clear: A vast majority of Pennsylvanians support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a proven cap-and-invest program that curbs climate pollution from the power sector. At the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) virtual public hearings …

This post was co-authored by James Povijua, Policy Director at Center for Civic Policy New legislation making its way through the Roundhouse is providing New Mexico with the opportunity to set national precedent when it comes to how we can create a just economic transition, create high-quality jobs, diversify local economies and protect our frontline communities …