Media Statements

Fossil fuel pollution

Statement: U.S. officially rejoins the international Paris Agreement

WASHINGTON -- The United States officially rejoined the international Paris Agreement on Friday. The act brings America back into a key accord aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions.  Environment America had called on Biden to prioritize rejoining the Paris Agreement on his first day in office in the "First Things to Fix" report. The report presented 20 actions for the Biden administration to undertake in early days of office to undo the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental laws and protections.

Media Statements ●  February 19, 2021

Clean energy

Statement: President Biden to make important strides in climate action

WASHINGTON -- President Joseph Biden will release a far-reaching plan Wednesday afternoon that outlines the actions his administration will take to tackle climate change both domestically and internationally. With the scientific target squarely in focus -- reaching net zero emissions by 2050 to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius -- the new administration will lay out elements of a roadmap for the nation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a broad range of sectors, from agriculture to manufacturing. 

Media Statements ●  January 27, 2021

Statement: Biden keeps promise as U.S. rejoins the international Paris Agreement

WASHINGTON -- When the Trump administration officially pulled the United States out of the international Paris Agreement on Nov. 4, 2020, Joe Biden promised that the United States would rejoin the climate accord upon his first day in office. On Wednesday, Biden followed through on that commitment. Via executive order, President Biden ensured that the U.S. will once again be part of this ground-breaking agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   

Media Statements ●  January 20, 2021

Statement: Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support joining RGGI

HARRISBURG, Penn.-- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) completed its 60-day public comment period Thursday to weigh the commonwealth’s public support for joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Established in 2008, RGGI is a bipartisan multi-state program that addresses climate pollution by setting a cap, which is annually lowered, on carbon emissions from power plants.

Media Statements ●  January 15, 2021

Forests

Statement: Procter & Gamble shareholders do right by voting to address impacts on forests

“Shareholders used their power to stand up for our natural world and sent a clear message to Procter & Gamble’s leadership that the boreal forest is simply too important to be turned into tissue paper."

Media Statements ●  October 13, 2020

Statement: PennEnvironment applauds Gov. Wolf veto of legislative attack on Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

PHILADELPHIA -- Today Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed legislation passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to prevent the state from joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), arguably one of the most successful programs for reducing climate pollution in the nation. House Bill 2025 would go much further than just keeping Pennsylvania out of RGGI: it would also fully revoke the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions -- the main contributor to the global climate crisis.

Media Statements ●  September 24, 2020

Clean air

Statement: Environmental Protection Agency finalizes catastrophic methane rule

PITTSBURGH -- The Trump administration finalized New Source Performance Standards Thursday for oil and gas companies. The changes will allow the industry to release methane at sites across the country with little to no accountability. Methane, which is a commonly released gas during the extraction of fossil fuels, is a highly dangerous greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Media Statements ●  August 14, 2020

Statement in response to the Allegheny County Health Department hiring Dr. Debra Bogen as director

PITTSBURGH -- The Allegheny County Board of Health announced on Wednesday that it is hiring Dr. Debra Bogen, formerly a pediatrician with UPMC and Pittsburgh’s Children's Hospital, as the new director of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). In response to the new hiring, Zachary Barber, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s Clean Air Advocate, issued the following statement:

Media Statements ●  March 4, 2020

Statement: PennEnvironment criticizes President Trump’s visit to pro-fracking Shale Insight conference

PITTSBURGH -- President Donald Trump spoke today in support of fracking and petrochemicals at the Shale Insight conference, a two-day event featuring regional fracking industry associations. This comes after a visit on Aug. 13, 2019 to the massive Royal Dutch Shell petrochemical plant being built in Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs, which will convert fracked gas into plastic.

Media Statements ●  October 23, 2019

Statement: Pennsylvania’s decision to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative big step for state on climate change

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to announce a proposal tomorrow to commit the commonwealth to joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Through the governor’s administrative action, the commonwealth is poised to become a member of one of the largest and most successful programs for tackling climate pollution in the nation.

Media Statements ●  October 3, 2019