(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes released the following joint statement in response to the report issued today by the United Nations on the global impacts of climate change:
“The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report authored by 200 climate scientists again confirms what we know, that burning fossil fuels and other human activities have caused unprecedented climate change, and if we don’t continue to take steps to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions global warming will continue to accelerate in Connecticut and around the world. We must adapt and become resilient to the impacts that the report confirms are already locked into our future, and we must rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate further damage.
“We have taken significant steps to reduce carbon emissions here in Connecticut through our longtime participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and landmark investments in energy efficiency, solar, and offshore wind, ensuring our power supply will be 91% carbon free by 2025. Transportation remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in Connecticut and across the United States. In the long term, enacting programs like the Transportation and Climate Initiative will be critical to drive down emissions in our state and region, create green jobs for a thriving economy, and clean our air, making healthier and safer communities for all.
“Here in Connecticut, we believe in science, and are committed to implementing equitable measures and programs to mitigate the impacts of climate change and bring the benefits of the clean energy economy to all of Connecticut’s communities and residents.”