Support Strong Climate Action at the Federal Level (GLA 1.6)

The Task Force endorses strong national climate legislation to complement state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the projected impacts of climate change. Such action could include increased vehicle fuel economy standards, appliance energy efficiency standards, investment in regional transportation networks and a national cap and trade mechanism for greenhouse gases. The national legislation should also support comprehensive adaptation planning that integrates the enhancement of the state's significant existing built and natural infrastructure. In the event that legislation results in a cap and trade program, the national program should return a significant portion of any collected pollution allowance revenues to New Hampshire to fund the emission reduction, clean energy, energy efficiency, and adaptation priorities contained in this Climate Action Plan. Adaptation priorities would include protecting natural systems, which provide significant ecosystem services to the state, as well as maintaining and enhancing built infrastructure affected by extreme storm events. Properly structured national climate legislation could provide the needed funding to implement many of the capital-intensive, higher-impact priorities identified in this plan. Funds generated by passage and enactment of a national climate law could drive the large emissions reductions needed while growing the New Hampshire economy if directly returned to the states and properly targeted.