Updated Climate Action Plan is Opportunity for Maine to Lead

The Maine Climate Council released its updated Climate Action Plan (view PDF) today as is statutorily required under a bipartisan climate law passed in 2019.

Since the first Climate Action Plan was published in 2020, the impacts of climate change have become more pronounced, causing damage to critical infrastructure, harm to local communities, and interruptions to Maine's way of life.

Here is a statement from NRCM Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro on the promise of the new Climate Action Plan:

"The new Climate Action Plan provides an ambitious and achievable pathway for meeting Maine's climate goals while creating jobs, saving money on energy costs, and making our communities more resilient for all Maine people. 

We have an opportunity to show the rest of the nation how coming together to create new home-grown clean energy industries; make our homes, schools, and businesses more efficient; and protect our natural resources can create a better future for people in every corner of our rural state.

There's no question we have lots of work to do, but if there's anything we've learned in the past four years it's the power of Maine people working together to make their communities stronger by implementing practical climate solutions that reduce costs, make us healthier, and protect the environment that we all love."

Experts from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and hundreds of other experts and community leaders, participated in Maine Climate Council working groups over the past year to develop recommended strategies for this year's update.