Climate

Climate Solutions Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 30 December 2021

Climate Solutions Act of 2021 This bill establishes renewable energy standards, energy saving targets, and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Specifically, the Department of Energy (DOE) must promulgate regulations to increase the percentage of electricity sold in the United States that is generated from renewable sources. By 2035, 100% of electricity must be generated from renewable sources. DOE must also promulgate regulations that set end-user electricity savings targets for retail electric energy suppliers and natural gas saving targets for retail natural gas suppliers through 2030 as specified by the bill. Each year's savings must be in addition to the previous years' savings. DOE must allow suppliers to achieve the targets through a market-based trading system. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must promulgate annual net emission reduction targets from 2030 through 2050 to ensure that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (1) in 2035 are at least 52% below those in 2005, and (2) in 2050 are zero. The EPA must promulgate final regulations to implement those targets within seven years and review them at least every five years thereafter.

Climate Readiness Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 27 December 2021

Climate Readiness Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Defense to report on the national security implications associated with climate change and strategies and approaches for responding to climate change. The report must be submitted in an unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.

OVERSIGHT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION: PROTECTING SMITHSONIAN FACILITIES AND COLLECTIONS AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 December 2021

A resolution reaffirming the partnership between the United States and the Dominican Republic and advancing opportunities to deepen diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation between the two nations.

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2021

This resolution reaffirms the Senate's commitment to strengthening the historic partnership between the United States and the Dominican Republic based on shared democratic values and efforts to advance economic prosperity and national security. The resolution encourages continued actions by the government of the Dominican Republic to assume a regional leadership role in promoting human rights, democratic values, and humanitarian assistance. The resolution calls for further steps to strengthen cooperation between the governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic on issues of shared strategic interest, including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, nearshoring initiatives in the Caribbean Basin, collaborative efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, and promote stability in Haiti. Finally, this resolution calls on the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue to support the efforts of the government of the Dominican Republic to respond to the humanitarian needs of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic.

Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021

Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act This bill modifies the pre-disaster mitigation grant program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Specifically, the bill increases FEMA's set-aside for pre-disaster mitigation assistance from 6% to 15% of certain grant amounts; provides for a 2% set-aside for community planning and capacity building assistance; and authorizes FEMA to develop guidance regarding how to incorporate climate change into the National Risk Index, cost-benefit analyses, and improved codes, specifications, and standards to address natural hazards. FEMA must prioritize applicants for assistance with the highest hazard risk in coordination with FEMA's National Risk Index, environmental justice communities, and low-income communities (current law covers the latter though this bill modifies the number of individuals in such communities); provide community outreach; and establish a central federal database to consolidate funding data collected by all local, state, and federal agencies involved in post-disaster response and pre-disaster mitigation spending and categorize the data by type of project, funding source, and hazard types using a user-friendly database and interactive map.

TRIBAL VOICES, TRIBAL WISDOM: STRATEGIES FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 18 November 2021

NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE ARCTIC

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 November 2021

Supporting Affordable and Reliable Energy in Developing Countries Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2021

Supporting Affordable and Reliable Energy in Developing Countries Act of 2021 This bill bans federal agencies and governmental corporations from implementing climate finance plans that would prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, the financing of certain projects to construct facilities that use fossil fuels or nuclear energy to generate electricity.

AMAZON21 Act

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2021

America Mitigating and Achieving Zero-emissions Originating from Nature for the 21st Century Act or the AMAZON21 Act This bill establishes programs to support efforts in developing countries to address climate change. The Department of State must establish the International Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Program to make results-based payments to eligible projects in developing countries that reduce emissions and enhance carbon sequestration from forests and other ecosystems. Eligible projects include those where the primary purpose is to (1) reduce deforestation and restore forests to support enhanced carbon sequestration; or (2) preserve other territorial ecosystems, such as wetlands, within the host country. The bill also imposes other requirements on project eligibility, including requirements relating to transparency pertaining to the use of the received payments and the host country's standards of governance and respect for the rule of law. The bill also requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to conduct a program to provide resources and technical assistance to developing countries to (1) conserve, manage, and restore carbon sinks, such as forests; and (2) support nature-based carbon sequestration. A project eligible for such assistance must be located in a country that meets certain criteria, such as a country that permits the sale of carbon credits to voluntary and carbon compliance markets.

Federal Agency Climate PREP Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2021

Federal Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness Act of 2021 or the Federal Agency Climate PREP Act This bill requires executive agencies to develop plans to address, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. Specifically, each executive agency (except for the Government Accountability Office) must submit to the Office of Management and Budget an agency climate action plan. In addition, the bill establishes a Council on Federal Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness. Finally, the bill provides statutory authority for the establishment of the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, which was created by Executive Order 14008.

FUELING THE CLIMATE CRISIS: EXPOSING BIG OIL'S DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT CLIMATE ACTION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 28 October 2021

INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

United States · United States House of Representatives · 28 October 2021

National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021

National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act This bill directs the President to establish a National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program to achieve major measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from wildland fires. This program shall coordinate federal efforts to improve the assessment of fire environments and the understanding and prediction of wildland fires, associated smoke, and their impacts; develop and encourage the adoption of science-based and cost-effective measures to prevent and mitigate wildland fire and associated smoke impacts; and improve the understanding and mitigation of the impacts of climate change and variability on wildland fire risk, frequency, and severity and inform the other goals described here. Not later than 90 days after enactment of this bill, the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildland Fire Risk Reduction to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the program. The committee shall submit a strategic plan for the program to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report to Congress on the progress and performance of the program. Further, the bill sets forth the responsibilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy with respect to the program.

Expressing support for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow and reaffirming the United States commitment to international cooperation combating climate change.

United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives applauds the Biden administration for reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change and to our collective responsibility to globally combat climate change; encourages the Biden administration to implement measures to ensure global climate change remains a top priority for this and future administrations and to cement the United States as a global leader in the fight to mitigate its most severe consequences; voices strong commitment as legislators toward achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, fulfilling the forthcoming pledges from the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and advancing other international efforts to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and realize global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 using a whole-of-government approach; and recognizes the critical responsibility of the United States and other developed nations to ensure all societies have the capabilities to transition to a clean energy economy, the resources to protect against climate-induced disasters, and the necessary assistance to endure climate-related challenges to food security, regional migration, and public health.

GOOD FOR BUSINESS: PRIVATE SECTOR PERSPECTIVES ON CLIMATE ACTION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 October 2021

Federal Agency Climate PREP Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2021

Federal Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness Act of 2021 or the Federal Agency Climate PREP Act This bill requires executive agencies to develop plans to address, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. Specifically, each executive agency (except for the Government Accountability Office) must submit to the Office of Management and Budget an agency climate action plan. In addition, the bill establishes a Council on Federal Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness. Finally, the bill provides statutory authority for the establishment of the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, which was created by Executive Order 14008.

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY'S ROLE IN CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 29 September 2021

An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.

United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2021

This bill provides funding, establishes programs, and otherwise modifies provisions relating to a broad array of areas, including education, labor, child care, health care, taxes, immigration, and the environment. (The bill is commonly referred to as the Build Back Better Act.) For example, the bill provides funding for management of the National Forest System; job placement and career services; safe drinking water, energy-efficiency, and weatherization projects; electric vehicles and zero-emission, heavy-duty vehicles; public health infrastructure and supply chain resiliency; housing, rental, and homeowner assistance programs; cybersecurity programs; tribal infrastructure, housing, environmental, and health programs; wildfire prevention, drought relief, conservation efforts, and climate change research; small business assistance and development; transit services and clean energy projects in low-income communities; and infrastructure and administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, the bill establishes programs to provide up to six semesters of free community college, free child care for children under the age of six, free universal preschool services, and health benefits for eligible individuals who reside in states that have not expanded Medicaid. The bill also includes provisions that establish a methane fee for certain petroleum and natural gas facilities; expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision care; provide certain aliens with a path to permanent resident status (e.g., those who entered the United States as minors); provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave; restructure and increase the tax rates for certain corporations and high-income individuals (e.g., individuals with income over $400,000); and require the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate maximum prices for certain brand-name drugs under Medicare.

To prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from using any Federal funds to create or maintain an office to address climate and health equity, or for any climate change program, project, or activity.

United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2021

This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using federal funds for maintaining an office to address climate and health equity or for any climate change program, project, or activity. (On August 30, 2021, pursuant to a presidential directive, HHS established the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity to address the impact of climate change on the health of the American people.)

America’s Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2021

America's Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act of 2021 This bill addresses climate change through efforts to sequester, mitigate, or store carbon dioxide, such as salvage logging, revegetation, or reforestation efforts, on National Forest System land and other land as specified by the bill.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 This bill authorizes Department of Defense (DOD) activities for FY2022 and addresses related issues. For example, the bill provides or extends procurement authority for certain helicopters and amphibious shipbuilding programs; requires DOD to establish executive education activities on emerging technologies for certain officers and civilian leaders; provides statutory authority related to DOD Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories, including direct hire authority with respect to advanced degree holders for positions at such laboratories; establishes within DOD a working group to develop a plan for creating a digital development infrastructure that supports tools and processes for developing and fielding applications powered by artificial intelligence; requires DOD core processes, such as acquisition and infrastructure planning, to fully consider and make needed adjustments to account for current and emerging climate and environmental challenges and to ensure climate resilience; expands Selective Service registration to include women; requires DOD to track allegations of retaliation against individuals who have made complaints of sexual assault or sexual harassment; requires DOD to implement certain recommendations from the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military; repeals a preference for fixed-price contracts in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; prohibits DOD from acquiring personal protective equipment from non-allied foreign nations, with some exceptions; extends and modifies authorities to assist vetted Syrian groups and individuals, provide assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and support the activities of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq; and extends and modifies the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative and the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.

Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2021

Preventing Health Emergencies And Temperature-related Illness and Deaths Act of 2021 or the Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for, and otherwise revises, the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Program to improve the capacity of the United States to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate health risks of extreme heat. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must carry out this program. (Currently, the program is jointly administered by NOAA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) Under the bill, the program may provide financial assistance for projects to increase awareness, education, and research about extreme heat events and mitigate the human health impacts of those events. In awarding the assistance, the program must prioritize historically disadvantaged communities and communities with significant heat disparities associated with race or income. Other components of the program include grants for research on climate and health and a study of relevant policy, research, and data gaps concerning extreme heat information and response. The bill also establishes an interagency committee within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategic plan and otherwise coordinate federal activities related to the program.

Climate Security Jobs Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2021

Climate Security Jobs Act This bill provides that for FY2022 and the fiscal years thereafter, the baseline personnel limitations for certain Department of Defense offices must not apply to personnel deemed as necessary to accommodate increases in workload or modify the type of personnel required to accomplish specified work related to military resilience to environmental risks.

Securing Technology Against Climate Impacts Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2021

Securing Technology Against Climate Impacts Act This bill expands the Department of Defense (DOD) requirements for its annual report on the national technology and industrial base. Specifically, the bill requires DOD to include in such report information on vulnerabilities related to the current and projected impacts of climate change, as well as vulnerabilities related to cyberattacks or disruptions.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives related to the Department of Defense's consideration of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2021

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Defense (DOD) should take the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report into consideration when carrying out resiliency efforts and making energy and transportation decisions for military bases and installations. The resolution also expresses that DOD should consider adding the recommendations of the Sixth Assessment Report to the Unified Facilities Criteria where appropriate.

Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2021

Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021 This bill establishes the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership and addresses related issues. The partnership shall serve as the primary forum and funding mechanism for U.S.-India cooperation on clean energy technology matters. The Department of State must report to Congress a comprehensive multiyear strategy for implementing the partnership. The bill requires programs to promote U.S.-India partnerships in (1) research and innovation for clean energy technologies, (2) initiatives for providing technical assistance for grid improvement and energy efficiency in India, and (3) initiatives to develop new renewable energy generation capacity in India. The U.S. Agency for International Development must work cooperatively with India's government on integrating scientifically supported climate change risk reduction and building resilience capacities in India. The State Department must report to Congress on the prospects for cooperation between U.S. states and states in India on clean energy issues.

Acknowledging that in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, individuals experienced hate and were targeted by the government on account of their faith, race, national origin and immigration status, and suggesting various forms of relief to support those affected.

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2021

This resolution condemns racism, xenophobia, discrimination, scapegoating, and ethnic and religious bigotry. It acknowledges the climate of hate that Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have experienced since September 11, 2001, and suggests specified relief to support those affected. Specifically, the resolution calls for the creation of an interagency task force to work with community-based organizations to review government policies that targeted such communities, investigate and document their impact, and dismantle those policies that continue to profile and target such communities; calls for hearings to explore the findings and recommendations of the task force; supports allocating resources to community-based organizations outside and independent of law enforcement that center the experiences and demands of Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities to support the needs of victims of hate and state violence and to create alternatives to law enforcement and transformative justice programs that focus on vulnerable populations within these communities; and calls on the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation to work together to study the impact of hate, government targeting, and profiling on physical and mental health.

21st Century Civilian Conservation and Climate Corps Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2021

21st Century Civilian Conservation and Climate Corps Act This bill temporarily authorizes and provides funding for the President to establish and operate a Civilian Conservation and Climate Corps to employ young adults (ages 16-25) in connection with public conservation and climate projects. If available funds are insufficient to employ every eligible individual seeking employment with the corps, preference must be given, in order, to (1) unemployed veterans, (2) unemployed individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, (3) individuals who are otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits, (4) members of groups determined to have suffered economic or social disadvantages to finding decent work, and (5) other unemployed individuals. The corps must pay employees wages comparable to wages paid to public-sector employees. The corps may also provide room, board, and clothing for employees, but the cost of these accommodations must be deducted from wages.

To authorize new grants for research into riparian forest genetics and climate adaptation.

United States · United States Congress · 31 August 2021

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a grant program for plant genetics and genomics research related to (1) making riparian forests (e.g., forests on river banks) become more resilient to climate change and invasive species; and (2) providing critical habitat for animals and plants that are suffering from lost, degraded, or threatened habitat.

Mental Health Stigma in the Military Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 20 August 2021

Mental Health Stigma in the Military Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Defense to implement a pilot program through July 1, 2022, to survey access to mental health care under the military health system. Command climate surveys must be administered to active duty service members of not fewer than 20 commands, 10 of which must be deployable, in each military department.

To provide that section 216 of Executive Order 14008 shall have no force or effect, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 17 August 2021

This bill prohibits from having the force and effect of law a provision of Executive Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7619), titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad , that requires the Department of the Interior to recommend steps to achieve the goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The President and each federal agency may not take specified actions with respect to that provision of Executive Order 14008, any successor executive order, or a program, campaign, or effort with similar goals, including the America the Beautiful campaign.

A bill to require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to award grants to certain entities for purposes of carrying out climate-resilient living shoreline projects that protect coastal communities, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2021

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish grant programs to support living shoreline projects and research on nature-based infrastructure. NOAA must award grants to state or local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions. A grant to carry out a living shoreline project may be used only to carry out the project, including administration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and construction; monitor, collect, and report data on the performance of the project, in accordance with the standard NOAA develops; or incentivize landowners to engage in such projects. NOAA shall award competitive research grants to eligible entities, including U.S. territories, to carry out projects focused on developing and assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to nature-based infrastructure for specified climate-related purposes. NOAA shall award grants to such entities for projects that focus on, among other things assessing the effectiveness of installed nature-based infrastructure, or novel approaches to nature-based infrastructure and living shorelines.

Insular Area Climate Change Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2021

Insular Area Climate Change Act This bill provides support through programs and financial assistance for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau), and other specified areas. For example, the bill requires the Technical Assistance Program of the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs to provide technical assistance for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience to the territories and Freely Associated States. It also establishes an Insular Area National Program Office within the Environmental Protection Agency to build and strengthen infrastructure to withstand natural disasters, expand renewable energy and energy efficiency, and provide technical assistance in the territories and Freely Associated States. Additionally, the bill establishes several grant programs to assess and reduce the impacts of climate change, expand renewable energy and energy efficiency, or expand sustainable infrastructure to withstand natural disasters in the territories and Freely Associated States.

Net-Negative Carbon Dioxide Baseload Power Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2021

Net-Negative Carbon Dioxide Baseload Power Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a net-negative carbon dioxide baseload power development and commercialization program. Under the program, DOE must (1) facilitate the redevelopment of existing coal-fueled power plant sites with certain technologies that enable them to generate power with net-negative carbon dioxide emissions, and (2) lessen the economic impact from climate change policies on communities dependent upon coal-fueled power plants.

FINANCING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. AND JOB CREATION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 29 July 2021

LIFT Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021

Local Infrastructure Funding & Technical Assistance Act or the LIFT Act This bill authorizes the Department of Commerce to provide grants under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 for predevelopment projects—measures required to be completed before construction of resilient climate infrastructure occurs—and related technical assistance. Grants may be provided to economic development districts, states, Indian tribes, local governments, institutions of higher education, individuals, and other organizations as specified by the bill.

Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021

Preventing Health Emergencies And Temperature-related Illness and Deaths Act of 2021 or the Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for, and otherwise revises, the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Program to improve the capacity of the United States to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate health risks of extreme heat. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must carry out this program. (Currently, the program is jointly administered by NOAA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) Under the bill, the program may provide financial assistance for projects to increase awareness, education, and research about extreme heat events and mitigate the human health impacts of those events. In awarding the assistance, the program must prioritize historically disadvantaged communities and communities with significant heat disparities associated with race, ethnicity, or income. Other components of the program include grants for research on climate and health and a study of relevant policy, research, and data gaps concerning extreme heat information and response. The bill also establishes an interagency committee within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategic plan and otherwise coordinate federal activities related to the program.

Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act of 2022

United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2021

Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act of 2021 This bill sets forth and revises various provisions relating to fisheries conservation and management, including to increase the adaptive capacity of fishery management to the impacts of climate change, implement working waterfront plans, establish an innovation prize for data collection technology used in fisheries management, and establish a national standardized reporting program for bycatch.

A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convene a blue ribbon panel to review the forest inventory and analysis program of the Forest Service, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2021

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to convene a blue ribbon panel to review the forest inventory and analysis program (a program that accounts for public and private forests and their resources in the United States). The panel shall conduct a review of the past progress, current priorities, and future needs of such program with respect to forest carbon, climate change, forest health, and sustainable wood products.

COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

United States · United States Senate · 21 July 2021

SBA's ROLE IN CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 21 July 2021

21ST CENTURY COMMUNITIES: CLIMATE CHANGE, RESILIENCE, AND REINSURANCE

United States · United States Senate · 20 July 2021

Energy PRICE Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021

Energy Prices Require Including Climate Externalities Act of 2021 or the Energy PRICE Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to direct electric utilities to take greenhouse gas emissions into account when they set their rates for the wholesale sale of electricity. Specifically, if FERC determines that the rates do not incorporate the cost of such emissions to public health, safety, or welfare, then FERC must find that the rates are unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory, or preferential.

Department of Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021

Department of Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to address climate resiliency and energy and resource efficiency. Each DOD contract for the procurement of property or services entered into on or after October 1, 2021, must include specified information related to energy consumption and energy sources. When deciding whether to enter into a contract, DOD must consider whether the contractor verifiably produces as much renewable energy as the total energy it consumes and whether there is any order against the contractor for a violation of an environmental law or regulation. Among other elements, the bill requires DOD to achieve aggregate net zero energy in use of energy by non-operational sources by December 31, 2031; DOD to give preference to contractors and small businesses that use green manufacturing technology; DOD to administer the Energy and Climate Resiliency Fund established by the bill; DOD and the military departments to consider climate change risks when making strategic decisions related to any military installation; DOD and other relevant federal agencies to incorporate climate change into the National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, and DOD's operational plans; and DOD to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration of hybrid microgrid systems and electric grid energy storage. The Government Accountability Office must report on the individual and aggregate uses of DOD's authority to give preference to contractors that use green manufacturing technology and small businesses that verifiably use green manufacturing technology or operate with net zero energy.

Green New Deal for Public Schools Act of 2021

United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021

Green New Deal for Public Schools Act of 2021 This bill provides environmental and educational resources to public elementary and secondary schools and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to provide climate capital facilities grants to eligible entities (e.g., public schools and BIE schools). Grant recipients must use these funds to construct new, or convert existing facilities into, healthy zero-carbon schools. Healthy zero-carbon school refers to a school with highly energy-efficient facilities that produce or procure sufficient carbon-free and pollution-free renewable energy to meet the school's needs. Next, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award resource block grants to qualified local educational agencies (LEAs) to hire and retain educators and support staff in high-need schools. ED must award grants to eligible consortia of LEAs for educational equity planning and implementation. In addition, ED must establish the Climate Change Resiliency Program to increase the resiliency of public and BIE schools during climate change-related events, natural disasters, and public health crises. Further, ED must establish a related grant program for state educational agencies. Grant recipients must use these funds for certain activities (e.g., green infrastructure projects). The bill establishes the Office of Sustainable Schools within ED to (1) administer the resource block grant and educational equity grant programs, and (2) coordinate with DOE and the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy on climate capital facilities grants and the Climate Change Resiliency Program.

Advancing Environmental Justice Through Climate Action

United States · United States House of Representatives · 15 July 2021

Department of Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2021

Department of Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to address climate resiliency and energy and resource efficiency. Each DOD contract for the procurement of property or services entered into on or after October 1, 2021, must include specified information related to energy consumption and energy sources. When deciding whether to enter into a contract, DOD must consider whether the contractor verifiably produces as much renewable energy as the total energy it consumes and whether there is any order against the contractor for a violation of an environmental law or regulation. Among other elements, the bill requires DOD to achieve aggregate net zero energy in use of energy by non-operational sources by December 31, 2031; DOD to give preference to contractors and small businesses that use green manufacturing technology; DOD to administer the Energy and Climate Resiliency Fund established by the bill; DOD and the military departments to consider climate change risks when making strategic decisions related to any military installation; DOD and other relevant federal agencies to incorporate climate change into the National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, and DOD's operational plans; and DOD to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration of hybrid microgrid systems and electric grid energy storage. The Government Accountability Office must report on the individual and aggregate uses of DOD's authority to give preference to contractors that use green manufacturing technology and small businesses that verifiably use green manufacturing technology or operate with net zero energy.

TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS FOR SOLVING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 30 June 2021

ADDRESSING CLIMATE AS A SYSTEMIC RISK: THE NEED TO BUILD RESILIENCE WITHIN OUR BANKING AND FINANCIAL SYSTEM

United States · United States House of Representatives · 30 June 2021

Living Shorelines Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2021

Living Shorelines Act This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish grant programs to support living shoreline projects and research on nature-based infrastructure. NOAA must award grants to state or local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions. NOAA shall establish an engineering standard applicable to living shoreline projects for each region of the United States and use such standard to select eligible entities to receive such grants. A grant to carry out a living shoreline project may be used only to carry out the project, including administration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and construction; monitor, collect, and report data on the performance of the project, in accordance with the engineering standard; or incentivize landowners to engage in such projects. NOAA shall award competitive research grants to eligible entities, including U.S. territories, to carry out projects focused on developing and assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to nature-based infrastructure for specified climate-related purposes. NOAA shall award grants to such entities for projects that focus on, among other things assessing the effectiveness of installed nature-based infrastructure, or novel approaches to nature-based infrastructure and living shorelines.