Introduction

Letter                    The Climate Challenge

Introduction - Understanding
“Environmental Quality in Connecticut” 

The Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality for 2022

published May 4, 2023

Welcome to Environmental Quality in Connecticut. As required by Connecticut General Statutes Section 22a-12 (a), “the council shall submit annually to the Governor an environmental quality report, which shall set forth: (1) the status of the major environmental categories including, but not limited to, the air, the water and the land environment; (2) current and foreseeable trends in the quality, management and utilization of the environment and the effects of such trends on the social, economic and health requirements of the state; (3) the adequacy of available natural resources for fulfilling human and economic requirements of the state in the light of projected population pressures; (4) a review of the programs and activities of the state and local governments and private organizations, with particular reference to their effect on the environment and on the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources; (5) a program for remedying the deficiencies of existing programs and activities, together with recommendations for legislation; and (6) the progress towards achievement of the goals and objectives established in the state-wide environmental plan.” This edition addresses the statutory requirements noted above and documents the condition of Connecticut's environment primarily for the 2022 calendar year. 

This annual report is designed to be read online to allow use of the navigation buttons to move from section to section within it or to find the topics of interest in the Index. Online, the values on the charts will appear under the cursor. 

The majority of Connecticut's key environmental indicators are strongly affected by a changing climate. The symbol at right (example) will identify indicators that are so affected or those that affect the climate. For the online edition, running your cursor over the symbol will reveal a brief statement of the indicator's connection to climate that is also linked to more information. For the printed version, please refer to “Climate Notes” at the end of this annual report.

Summary Key for Indicators: Each page in the report has an environmental theme. Where an indicator shows change over time, there will usually be a summary key to allow for a quick evaluation of the status of that indicator. The top line is the indicator’s status for the most recent year; the second line shows the current year’s status compared to the ten-year trend; and the third line shows whether the indicator is on track to meet its goal.

The asterisks in the body of the text refer to clarifying information found in the “Technical Notes” section on most pages. The endnotes identify the primary source of the information.

There may be updates to the 2022 annual report if data become available that were not available at publication. Sign up for e-alerts to receive a notice when updates are published. The Council welcomes your comments and questions.