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Among all energy companies, NOCs have some of the lowest development and production costs, and will likely be the ones lifting the last barrel from the ground.

Amid growing concerns about the environmental impact of single-use plastics, consumers have increasingly sought out alternatives made with renewable materials—as demonstrated by the rise in popularity of the paper straw. Unfortunately, this summer many eco-conscious consumers were devastated to learn of a recent analysis of drinking straws that detected PFAS in paper straws.1    These …

Freight transport in Europe accounts for only 2% of vehicles on the road but is responsible for 22% of all road transport climate pollution in the EU. With e-commerce on the rise, construction booming, waste generation increasing and grocery delivery expanding, the need for urban freight plans and policies is growing. However, a 2021 survey …

NOTE: This blog was originally published on our Deep Dives blog on April 13, 2023. It predates the recent reorganization efforts at FDA. What Happened? FDA estimates that, each year, food companies designate 82 new food chemicals as “GRAS” (Generally Recognized as Safe) for use in food. On average, FDA reviews only 64 of those …

Many environmentalists are understandably skeptical about a climate gathering that will be led by the chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company. But the meeting, which begins Nov. 30 in Dubai, could have a positive outcome if the oil and gas industry makes a verifiable commitment to cut methane pollution.

Amidst all the positive momentum behind reducing global oil and gas methane emissions lies a critical challenge: If we’re going to reduce global methane emissions, we need accurate and trustworthy numbers to define the scope of the problem, assess company and country performance and track emissions over time and against reduction goals. Because you can’t …

In early December, the EDF climate-smart agriculture team will join hundreds of farmers, food and agriculture companies, university experts and other conservation organizations at the 2023 Sustainable Agriculture Summit, “Scaling Collective Impact: Collaborating to Accelerate Agricultural Sustainability.” This conference is one of the largest annual gatherings of people working to improve sustainability in U.S. agriculture,

This blog was authored by Pedro Martins Barata, AVP for Carbon Markets and Private Sector Decarbonization at the Environmental Defense Fund. Since the Glasgow COP two years ago, there have been growing expectations to transform the market-based cooperation approaches outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement into practical, effective actions for reducing global emissions.

Since the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) began well over a decade ago, this group of Eastern states has successfully slashed climate pollution from power plants in half, generated substantial health benefits and raised $3 billion in proceeds that have been invested back into states. Now this program, which puts a declining cap on power …

Financed emissions reporting by the six biggest US banks doesn’t show if they’re improving. Focusing on methane can yield results.

 We only have until December 15, 2023, to show EPA we support a full and rapid ban of all uses of TCE. Take Action: Tell EPA–Ban TCE Now What Happened? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently taken a significant step in safeguarding public health by proposing new regulations under our nation’s primary chemicals …

Fleets across the country are going electric and utilities and regulators must be prepared for this essential transition.  New York is currently taking on an ambitious medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle proceeding to address barriers to charging infrastructure and has just conducted a series of technical workshops that brought together fleets, utilities and experts, including …

What’s Happening? The North Carolina Departments of Health & Human Services and Agriculture & Consumer Services identified WanaBana cinnamon applesauce pouches as a source for elevated blood lead levels in multiple children. They found extraordinarily high concentrations of lead (1,900- 5,100 ppb) in the products, leading to the identification of at least 34 cases of …

The global backdrop to this month’s newsletter is somber. Still, there are bright spots for climate progress, and important opportunities for business action and advocacy.

What Happened? Last month, FDA’s scientists published the toxicological reference value (TRV) for exposure to cadmium in the diet. This value is the amount of a chemical—in this case cadmium—a person can consume in their daily diet that would not be expected to cause adverse health effects and can be used for food safety decision-making.

Today, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) released the results from Washington’s second Allowance Price Containment Reserve (APCR) auction, held on November 8th. At this auction, all 5 million available APCR allowances were sold at the Tier 1 price of $51.90. This auction, along with three previous sold-out cap-and-invest auctions, continues to show strong …

This year, California marked the 10th anniversary of its landmark cap-and-trade program, and the Golden State has good reason to celebrate: California saw reduced year-on-year emissions from nearly every sector covered by the program. On top of delivering on critical emissions reductions, cap-and-trade has generated revenue resulting in $9.3 billion implemented through California Climate Investments …

NOTE: This is the fifth in a series about EPA’s regulation of new chemicals. See below under Go Deeper for links to the other blogs in the series. What Happened? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed new regulations for its safety reviews of new chemicals under our nation’s primary chemicals law, the Toxic Substances …

In a move that will protect communities across the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon finalize new rules to reduce methane and other toxic, smog-forming  pollution from the nation’s oil and gas industry. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that’s fueling much of the climate crisis due to the excessive warming it creates …

By Maria Doa, PhD, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy, and Colin Parts, Legal Fellow NOTE: This is the fourth in a series about EPA’s regulation of new chemicals. See below under Go Deeper for links to the other blogs in the series. What Happened? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed new regulations for its safety …

Vulnerable communities facing increased risk from flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather could soon receive a big lifeline thanks to the introduction of the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act. If passed, this bipartisan legislation would create a unified national strategy for disaster planning. This proactive approach would consolidate government …

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s proposed Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards are poised to add yet another spark to the medium- and heavy-duty truck industry’s acceleration toward low- and zero-emission trucks. Whereas many of the incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act are intended to spark demand for zero-emission trucks, EPA’s proposed truck …

New EDF Economics Discussion Paper reviews the instrument options available to policy makers to address methane emissions from the coal sector during the coal phase-out. This paper complements previous EDF research focusing on instruments options for methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.   Coal use is one of the major sources of CO2 globally,