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Governor Phil Scott Signs Letter Urging U.S. to Maintain Its Commitment to Paris Climate Agreement

May 17, 2017

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced he and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker have sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging them to continue the United States’ commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. The letter cites Vermont and Massachusetts’ ongoing nation-leading efforts to combat climate change and stresses the importance of leading on this issue to build a stronger and more resilient country.

“Our states, working individually and in multi-state efforts, have already made tremendous progress in reducing our carbon emissions,” wrote Govs. Scott and Baker. “We believe maintaining this commitment and the U.S. leadership on climate change is the right action for the protection of our children, grandchildren and future generations.”

In the letter, Govs. Scott and Baker detail the damage caused by the effects of climate change to the residents, infrastructure and economies of Vermont and Massachusetts. Citing their respective states’ success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while building more robust economies, Govs. Scott and Baker affirmed the belief that the United States can reach its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in a way that benefits the whole country.

Gov. Scott has continued to highlight the intrinsic link between protecting the environment and supporting a strong economy, particularly in Vermont. He has remained committed to Vermont’s renewable energy goals of attaining 90 percent of its energy from renewables by 2050. To encourage Vermonters’ investment in efficiency products, his Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposed a tax holiday for hybrid and electric vehicles and other energy efficient products.

To view the full letter, visit http://governor.vermont.gov/content/paris-climate-agreement-letter.