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Efforts in the Mid-Atlantic Region to Curb Climate Change
How You Can Help
- at home
- at the office
- on the road
- at school
- Want to help your organization Go Green? Visit the Mid-Atlantic Sustaninability Partnership
Other EPA Region 3 Climate Change Information
Reducing Greenhouse Gases in the Mid-Atlantic: An Overview of EPA Region 3 (PDF, 29 pp.,6,109 KB, About PDF)
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are taking place at all levels of government in the Mid-Atlantic Region. At the national and regional levels, EPA supports a wide variety of programs to reduce emission, and promote energy efficiency and clean energy. At the state and local level, most governments have developed plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and and policies for increased energy efficiency and renewable energy. A number of states in the region participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI),
the country's first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA's National Climate Change Efforts
National Efforts
The federal focus is on voluntary programs and partnerships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, encourage companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies, develop strategies for reducing gases that have a potentially high impact on global-warming, advance agricultural practices for reducing methane as well as clean diesel and other technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Given a recent court ruling that EPA has the regulatory authority to address the problem of climate change coupled with efforts in Congress to pass a cap and trade bill, regulatory programs are expected to be implemented in the near future.
EPA Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Efforts
Regional Efforts
We are involved in a variety of activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy efficiency and encourage renewable energy, including assistance to key municipalities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, support for collaborative, cross-program projects under the Energy and Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), and support for the Clean Energy, Clean Diesel and Clean School Bus programs.
State and Local Government Efforts
Governments and organizations in the region have been at the forefront in in developing and implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A number of states participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the country's first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, most state and local governments have developed plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions and have innovative policies for increased energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The links below direct you to state and local websites about climate activities greenhouse gas emissions.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Delaware
- Delaware's Climate Change Website: This webpage outlines the challenge presented by climate change in general and how it affects Delaware as well as providing links to wide variety of other sites.
- Delaware's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Page: Provides an overview of Delaware's participation RGGI and its CO2 Budget Trading Program Auction, with links to related websites.
- Delaware's Climate Change Action Plan: (PDF, 210 pp., 934KB, About PDF) Includes a summary of 1990 emissions, projections of emissions to 2010, reduction strategies and recommendations.
- Delaware's Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU): RGGI auction proceeds in Delaware are directed to this non-profit entity, which is designed to meet energy needs, not by building new power plants but by developing end-user markets for energy efficiency and renewable energy, weatherizing homes and providing affordable energy services for low-income families.
Washington, DC
Maryland
- Climate Change
- Maryland Climate Change Initiatives
- Maryland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory 1990
- Maryland's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania's Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) Website:
- Pennsylvania's Draft Report, entitled "Pennsylvania Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reference Case Projections"(PDF, 65 pp., 1MB, About PDF) includes a summary of emissions from 1990 and 2003, projections of emissions for 2005 through 2020, reduction strategies and recommendations.
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's GHG Inventory
- Philadelphia's, Target 5: Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 20 Percent
- The Pittsburgh Climate Initiative's GHG Emissions Inventory
Virginia
- Virginia Inventory and projection of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2000 - 2025)(PDF, 68 pp., 1.35MB, About PDF)
West Virginia
- West Virginia Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Inventory (1990 and 1999):(PDF, 2 pp., 50KB, About PDF) A summary of emissions for 1990 and 1999.
To find a person who can provide more detailed information regarding climate change issues go to EPA Regional Climate Change Contacts page.