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Ranging from protectors of the rain forest to cow burps, here five of the best and most popular stories from Vital Signs in 2023. 

Statement from Curt Stokes, senior attorney for Environmental Defense Fund

Statement by Erin Murphy, Senior Attorney, Energy Markets & Utility Regulation ​​​​​​​

By Anna Hirai, Legal & General Investment Management, and Andrew Howell, CFA, Environmental Defense Fund Aligning the maritime shipping sector with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. This includes financial institutions, given the important role that finance plays in this asset-heavy sector. Maritime shipping touches around 90% of globally traded goods and …

By Vrashabh Kapate Led by food and dairy giants the Bel Group, Danone, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Lactalis USA, and Nestlé, as well as the Environmental Defense Fund, the Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA) launched at COP28 last week in a COP Presidency event–to great global attention.  These leading food companies together represent more than …

By Marissa Nixon U.S. companies are expanding their electric vehicle fleets, and last year was monumental. An astounding 10,265 electric trucks hit the road in 2023, according to a new EDF analysis of class 2b-8 fleet announcements. EDF recently revamped the Electric Fleet Deployment & Commitment tracking tool, a public list of orders, deployments and …

Results were released today for Washington’s fourth quarterly cap-and-invest auction, which was held on December 6th. The results from this sold-out auction show continued strong demand for allowances in the program, which has brought in substantial revenue for the state of Washington to reinvest in its communities. This is the final auction of 2023, marking …

COP28 laid an important foundation and some direction on where countries, industry and civil society need to accelerate climate action. But the work following COP28 will require monumental ramp-up in ambition and collaboration to address the climate crisis. We hoped the final agreement would have given countries stronger direction toward a just and equitable transition to clean energy, including realizing the full potential of methane reductions to slow the rate of warming in the near term.  

Working alongside the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), U.S. Reps. Sean Casten (D-IL) and Mike Levin (D-CA) yesterday introduced the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration (CETA) Act, which would address some of the most urgent issues in advancing the clean energy transition. This bill will encourage the development of new transmission lines to carry renewable power where it’s needed while protecting the rights of communities to provide input on where lines are built and to benefit from their construction.

Last week, EPA Administrator Regan announced final standards to cut methane and harmful local air pollution from both new and existing facilities in the oil and gas industry.   Diverse stakeholders ranging from major oil-producing states like New Mexico to tribal air agencies to oil and gas producers and methane mitigation companies have all voiced support …

In the last few years, North Carolinians have seen eye-popping electricity bills. Bill increase after bill increase has compounded, resulting in 20+ percent higher monthly bills for most ratepayers in our state. The main driver? The volatile cost of natural gas, which accounts for a larger and larger portion of the energy mix that North …

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) reintroduced the Clean Competition Act, which aims to reduce industrial climate pollution while strengthening the competitiveness of clean U.S. manufacturing through new incentives.

Launched by the World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund, and other partners, this first-of-a-kind platform combines data from climate modeling, socioeconomics, and global fisheries to highlight hotspots of potential future ocean conflict.

By Jacqui Vogel (EDF) and Dr. Sarah Glaser (WWF) Oceans are under immense threat from climate change. Around the world, oceanographic changes like melting sea ice, warming waters, sea level rise and shifting fish populations make access to marine resources more uncertain and less secure. Climate change threatens to disrupt the communities, supply chains and …

(This post was written by EDF interns Cyera Charles and Remeny White) Across the U.S. states are passing laws that will ensure greater equity as we transition to a clean energy system. EDF has developed an interactive map – based on our new report, the State Climate Equity Survey – that documents states’ efforts to …

It's time to talk about developing a new approach to food production that meets the reality of our rapidly changing future.

Across the U.S., states are passing laws that will ensure greater equity as we transition to a clean energy system. This EDF report that documents states’ efforts to make their energy transition more equitable and healthier.

A circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by narrowing energy and material loops.

The consequences of climate change are being felt worldwide. That's why EDF is ramping up game-changing solutions at a global scale.

In an order issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to EPA’s Clean Air Act responsibility to address climate pollution.

Deepening patterns of water scarcity and excess pose a growing threat to agriculture across much of the United States. Intensifying climatic extremes — combined with accelerating disruptive human interventions including groundwater over-extraction, sprawling drainage networks and misaligned governance — are driving mounting water-related agricultural costs, particularly in midwestern and western states.

At COP28, over 130 countries endorsed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, marking a significant elevation of the importance of food systems for a climate-resilient future. 

Deepening patterns of water scarcity and excess pose a growing threat to agriculture across much of the United States according to a new report from the Environmental Defense Fund.

This EDF report provides an overview of the dual water stressors of too little and too much water, the current and potential future impacts these might have on agriculture, and highlights emerging adaptation strategies to enhance resilience. This report focuses on impacts to agriculture in the western and midwestern U.S.

Concrete and cement are parts of our everyday lives, from sidewalks to bridges and schools, but their production contributes significantly to overheating the planet. We must find solutions for energy-intensive industries like these to reduce their climate pollution.