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<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/advancing-cities"></a></p><div type="image" title="Honolulu hawaii" height="1059" width="1412" msid="81954265" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Matthew Gonser leads the Office of <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change">Climate Change</keyword>, <keyword id="49089" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sustainability">Sustainability</keyword> and Resiliency in <keyword id="95528" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Honolulu">Honolulu</keyword>, <keyword id="118728" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="hawaii">Hawaii</keyword>.</li><li>It's in charge of making the city affordable and resilient to natural disasters and climate change.</li><li>The next step for his office is the Climate Action Plan, which includes expanding renewable energy.</li></ul><p>In January, Matthew Gonser was named chief resilience officer and executive director of the <a href="https://resilientoahu.org/">Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency</a> in Honolulu, Hawaii. His role involves leading the city's sustainability efforts under a new mayor and administration that took over in 2021. </p><p>"It's just so validating and satisfying," Gonser, who joined the office in 2017 and previously served as its coastal and water program manager, told Insider, describing his work with the office - especially when it comes to engaging the community. "There's a lot of challenges living in an island community in a globalized economy around affordability, access to food, equity across the electricity sector." </p><div type="image" title="Matthew Gonser" height="2475" width="3300" msid="81954266" hostid="261"></div><p>The Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency was created by a <a href="https://honolulu.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&amp;clip_id=1149&amp;meta_id=109634d=109634">city charter amendment</a> that was approved by the public in 2016. Afterward, Honolulu was awarded a 100 Resilient <keyword id="6399501" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cities">Cities</keyword> Initiative Grant by the Rockefeller Foundation. </p><p>The office was put in charge of tracking climate change and ensuring that Honolulu's infrastructure and residents are prepared. It serves in mostly a coordination and facilitation role, Gonser explained - helping with policy development and aligning city investments and projects with state and federal support.</p><p>A key part of the office's work also involves community outreach about climate change issues affecting Honolulu and the whole state of Hawaii and potential solutions. </p><div type="image" title="Private home damage due to sea level rise and coastal erosion." height="540" width="720" msid="81954269" hostid="261"></div><p>The Resilience Office under Gonser has already made an impact: It's currently finalizing the Climate Action Plan, which will likely be adopted this year, and continuing to implement measures from its Resilience <keyword id="6363690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Strategy">Strategy</keyword>. Here's a look inside these initiatives.</p><h2>A Resilience Strategy based on community input</h2><p>One of the Resilience Office's key projects is the <a href="https://online.flowpaper.com/74d206f1/OlaResilienceStrategy/#page=1">Oahu Resilience Strategy</a>, which kicked off in 2017. </p><p>To develop the strategy, they went to the community - the island of Oahu, which is home to Honolulu County and the capital city and encompasses 33 neighborhood boards. </p><div type="image" title="Oʻahu Resilience Strategy Steering Committee members meeting during development phase of the strategy, which includes Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi." height="1152" width="1536" msid="81954270" hostid="261"></div><p>Gonser said they engaged these neighborhood boards to survey residents about their concerns about climate change and possible solutions for "climate shocks and climate stresses," such as hurricanes, infrastructure failure, and cost of living. </p><p>Initially, the office gathered about 200 ideas, which were refined into 44 long-term actions that became the Resilience Strategy. The plan centers on four themes: long-term affordability, natural disaster resilience, climate security, and community cohesion. </p><p>"It was really intended to be a catalyst," Gonser said. "Toward the end of last year, when we provided our annual sustainability report, we were able to share that significant action or progress had been made on no less than 22 of the 44 resilience actions." </p><p>For example, the Resilience Strategy informed three <a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/12/23/breaking-news/honolulu-mayor-kirk-caldwell-signs-three-bills-addressing-parking-solar-permitting-and-climate-change/">new climate change-focused bills</a> that were signed into law in December.</p><p>One bill updates parking regulations in the city's Land Use Ordinance to reduce or eliminate mandatory parking requirements for new developments, which would enable land to be used for other purposes and encourage walkable communities that don't rely so much on their cars. The permitting process for residential solar projects was also streamlined to reduce the time and costs of installation and move the clean energy permitting system online. </p><div type="image" title="Solar array installation on top of the Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu" height="981" width="1310" msid="81954271" hostid="261"></div><p>Another bill put climate change and sustainability standards into city ordinance and created a framework for climate projects. The city will now be required to establish and report water and energy benchmarks for some of its facilities and must transition city vehicles to 100% renewable energy by 2035 and become carbon neutral by 2045. </p><h2>Honolulu's first-ever climate plan will likely be adopted this year </h2><p>At the same time, the office was working on its Resilience Strategy, it was also developing a <a href="https://resilientoahu.org/climate-action-plan">Climate Action Plan</a>, which is a science- and community-based initiative to address climate change and eliminate fossil fuel emissions. </p><p>Gonser said the office held community meetings hosted by Honolulu City Council members, Hawaii Pacific University, the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. They created an interactive climate game to encourage conversations around climate action priorities and set up working groups with stakeholders.</p><p>These conversations led to the city's first-ever climate plan, which outlines nine strategies for Honolulu to address over the next five years, including promoting waste prevention, expanding renewable energy, and increasing energy efficiency. Other goals include reducing greenhouse gas carbon emissions from transportation, electricity, and waste by 44% by 2025 and becoming carbon neutral. </p><div type="image" title="City and County of Honolulu’s first all-electric TheBus unveiled at Honolulu Hale before deploying on routes based at the Kalihi-Pālama Bus Facility" height="4000" width="5333" msid="81954274" hostid="261"></div><p>The plan was released in December 2020, and the required public comment period, where residents are able to share their opinions and concerns about the plan, ended in February. Gonser said the plan will go before the city council in April and most likely be adopted. </p><p>Honolulu <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/01/02/blangiardi-be-sworn-honolulus-mayor-city-hall-ceremony/">swore in a new mayor</a>, Rick Blangiardi, in January, as well as several new city council members. "We've been briefing the new city council, new city leadership, and we look forward to introducing the plan for adoption," Gonser added. </p><h2>Future projects will examine sustainable, equitable water and energy systems</h2><p>With a new city administration in place, Gonser said the next step is identifying future priorities and accelerating those projects and policies - while also continuing to focus on the measures identified in the Resilience Strategy and Climate Action Plan.  </p><p>Several projects are underway, including an analysis of the city's fleet to understand what's needed to convert it to clean fuel by 2035. They're also examining ways to reduce flood insurance premiums for residents, better manage water systems, and become less fossil fuel dependent to make energy more affordable. Hawaii has one of the <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2019/07/03/study-hawaii-has-the-highest-elec.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20WalletHub%20study,times%20lower%20than%20in%20Hawaii.">highest electricity costs</a> in the nation. </p><p>"A bigger one that is still in the works and has some work ahead of it is to really develop an intentional climate adaptation strategy and keying in on city infrastructure, the assets, and the services that we provide," Gonser said. "Also, better understanding the already experienced and potential disparate impacts of how climate continues to change toward mid-century. We're thinking about impacts but also understanding the consequences for the economy as a whole." </p><p>As communities across the country are grappling with issues of climate change, Gonser urges city leaders to acknowledge the problem, raise awareness, define how to address it, and take action. </p><p>"It's not just about doing climate action, but it's showing that there's equity in the moves that we're doing so that all are benefiting and transitioning to this cleaner, greener, more beautiful future," he said. </p>

Inside Honolulu's Resilience Office, which plans to solve the city's climate change issues with new leadership and community support

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to pull the US out of a landmark international accord to cut carbon emissions.</p><p>"Trump has made it clear he will withdraw from the Paris Agreement," Myron Ebell, the former head of Trump's EPA transition team, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-epa-idUSKBN15E1MM" target="_blank">told reporters in London</a> on January 30. "He could do it by executive order tomorrow or he could do it as part of a larger package."</p><p>Although the formal process for removing the US from the agreement would actually take years, it appears the Trump administration has already started the process of scaling back US involvement in the accord.</p><p>Since Trump took office, the reports that detailed the progress made on President Obama's Climate Action Plan have disappeared from the State Department's website, where they were once publicly accessible. </p><p><strong>Here's what the page with the most recent report looked like on January 20th:</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Internet Archive</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>And here it is now:</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Department of Energy</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The three most recent reports, which were published in 2010, 2014 and 2016, are all gone from the website. Under the <a href="http://newsroom.unfccc.int/" target="_blank">United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change</a> (UNFCCC), the US is committed to publish a report every four years that projects future greenhouse gas emissions based on existing policies. The 2010 report fulfills that requirement, while the ones published in 2014 and 2016 go a step further, describing the steps the US was taking to cut greenhouse gas pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and engage with other nations about the climate problem.</p><p>The disappearances were noticed by members of the <a href="https://envirodatagov.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Data and Governance Initiative</a> (EDGI), a group of scientists, archivists and other people working to monitor changes to government websites and download reports and data that they believe are at risk of being taken down by the Trump administration. </p><p>During the Obama administration, the US pushed all countries to publish biennial reports analyzing how planned actions would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the future (in addition to the reports with future projections based on current policies). The Obama administration's biennial reports assessed progress on his Climate Action Plan, charted the trends in US greenhouse gas emission, and outlined the progress made toward the reduction targets.</p><p>PDFs of the <a href="https://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/application/pdf/2014_u.s._climate_action_report[1]rev.pdf" target="_blank">2014</a> and <a href="https://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/biennial_reports_and_iar/submitted_biennial_reports/application/pdf/2016_second_biennial_report_of_the_united_states_.pdf">2016</a> reports are still viewable via the UNFCCC.</p><p>The page about Obama's <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ia/initiatives/climate-action-plan" target="_blank">Climate Action Plan</a> itself, which lives on the Department of Energy's website, also disappeared temporarily after Trump's inauguration, but has since been put back up.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Screenshots/EDGI</span></p><p class="caption">A side-by-side comparison shows the Climate Action Plan page on Jan. 17 (left) and Jan. 26 (right)</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>If you want to see the<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf" target="_blank"> full PDF of the plan</a>, however, you have to view it in the archive of Obama's websites.</p><p>The framework of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/paris-agreement-explained-2016-11/">Paris agreement</a>, which went into effect on November 4, means it would take the US three or four years to fully withdraw, even if Trump issues an executive order to pull out of it. But there are several things the president can do now to decrease participation.</p><p>First, he could withdraw the country from the UNFCCC, which would only take a year, and would consequently remove the US from the Paris Agreement as well. Second, because the accord doesn't impose penalties on countries that do not meet the goals they set when they ratified the deal, Trump could just ignore the targets for the US (it's unlikely we would have reduced emissions enough to meet them anyway).</p><p>It's not surprising that the Trump administration has taken the reports down, given its opposition to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/american-sovereignty-restoration-act-us-withdraw-un-2017-1">US role in the UN</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-delays-30-environmental-regulations-created-under-obama-2017-1">Obama's environmental regulations</a>. But the removal is another clear indicator that the US is rapidly ceding its global leadership on climate action.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-climate-change-deniers-2017-1">Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the real problem with climate skeptics</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZiY2MyMTE6JWqcPELpqk9VJTNr6gtpdC" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Data on climate change progress is disappearing from the US State Department website

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advancing-cities"></a></p><div type="image" title="Shot from peak of Diamond Head Crater, overlooking Honolulu skyline and Waikiki Beach." height="3165" width="4220" msid="92188999" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Climate change is an urgent issue that many are trying to address.</li><li>City leaders are seeking solutions to these problems to protect their communities. </li><li>Here are three actions leaders can take to make their cities more climate-resilient.</li></ul><p>Cities across the country are <a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/cities-and-climate-change#:~:text=Rising%20global%20temperatures%20causes%20sea,housing%2C%20human%20livelihoods%20and%20health.">feeling the effects</a> of climate change through more extreme weather events, flooding and sea-level rise, hotter temperatures, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, city leaders are seeking solutions to these problems to protect their communities. </p><div type="image" title="headshot of Jessica Price" height="936" width="1248" msid="92189002" hostid="261"></div>"Growing our resilience to climate change helps us anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate hazards," Jessica Price, <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> and resilience manager in the Madison, Wisconsin mayor's office, told Insider. "It opens the door to proactively taking action to avoid or minimize climate impacts, rather than only responding once disaster strikes." <p>Being proactive and taking action now enables cities to embrace an array of solutions and strategies, which Price said will save money in the long run and protect the health and well-being of communities.</p><p>Here are three actions city leaders should take to make their communities more climate-resilient. </p><h2><strong>1. Conduct a climate assessment</strong></h2><p>City leaders must understand how vulnerable they are to the effects of climate change to take action. Price suggested starting with a climate vulnerability assessment, which accounts for the characteristics of different neighborhoods, populations, and existing infrastructure to address climate hazards. </p><p>Conducting an assessment provides a foundation for cities to develop equitable long- and short-term climate strategies. Madison, for example, is working toward several climate goals outlined in its <a href="https://cityofmadison.com/sites/default/files/news/attachments/climate_forward.pdf">Climate Forward</a> agenda, such as reaching 100% renewable energy and zero-net carbon emissions in city operations by 2030 and community-wide by 2050. </p><p>"If a comprehensive analysis seems daunting, start by focusing on one climate hazard impacting your area, like heat waves, and build on that work over time," Price said. </p><p>Cities can conduct a climate assessment internally or partner with a local college, university, nonprofit, or disclosure organization, like <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en">CDP</a>, for analyses and planning help. Price said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-madison-wisconsin-building-resilience-against-climate-change-2022-4">Madison is working with researchers</a> at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to map the city's urban heat island effect and help the city develop a plan to minimize these effects in an equitable way and promote community health and well-being.</p><h2>2. Engage the community to ensure solutions are equitable</h2><div type="image" title="headshot of Matthew Gonser" height="2050" width="2734" msid="92189004" hostid="261"></div>Because climate solutions are meant to protect community members, Matthew Gonser, chief resilience officer and executive director of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency for <keyword id="11899377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="honolulu" source="Orion">Honolulu</keyword>, <keyword id="11940260" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hawaii" source="Orion">Hawaii</keyword>, said the "voices from frontline communities should be loud and clear" in developing strategies.<p>"The knowledge and experiences of community members illuminate the vulnerabilities, perceptions, values, and strengths to guide strategy and vision," he told Insider. "Engagement empowers both government and the people."</p><p>Honolulu's Resilience Office developed its Resilience Strategy by engaging the neighborhood boards on the island of Oahu, which is home to Hawaii's capital city and Honolulu County. Residents were surveyed for their concerns about climate change and ideas for solutions, and city officials found that residents were most concerned with hurricanes, cost of living, and how well infrastructure would hold up in a disaster. The office collected hundreds of ideas, which were narrowed down into 44 long-term actions, like making flood insurance more affordable for residents and expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, that comprise the strategy.</p><p>The city also created an interactive climate game to drive conversations around climate change concerns and hosted community meetings about its Climate Action Plan — another strategy that was adopted in 2021 for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% within five years and becoming carbon neutral by 2045.</p><p>Engaging the community also ensures solutions are developed equitably so the residents most affected are prioritized and all neighborhoods share the benefits, Price said. Low-income communities, people of color, the elderly, women, and people with disabilities are often at a higher risk for climate-related impacts, according to a McKinsey &amp; Co. report. Climate change "amplifies existing health, social, and economic inequities," she said.</p><h2>3. Track and be transparent about climate-resilient progress</h2><p>Cities should also establish methods for tracking and reporting progress on climate initiatives, Gonser said.</p><p>"This builds trust, establishes accountability, and allows for more informed decision-making," he said, adding that the Resilience Office is in charge of tracking climate progress in Honolulu, which includes monitoring energy and water use in city operations.</p><p>Statewide, Hawaii launched the Aloha+ Challenge in 2014 to identify and address climate goals based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including clean energy transformation, natural resources management, and building and educating a green workforce. The initiative features an online scorecard where the public can keep an eye on the state's progress on these metrics.</p><p>Madison also tracks energy use in city buildings and is performing retrofits to make them more energy-efficient. The city tracks and reports its Climate Forward agenda goals, and now has nearly 75% of the electricity for city operations coming from renewable energy, including solar power. Madison strives to reach 100% by 2030.</p>

3 steps communities can take to become more climate-resilient, according to leaders who have made progress in their own cities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President-elect Joe <keyword id="60973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Biden">Biden</keyword> plans on putting his $2 trillion <keyword id="6375923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate">climate</keyword> plan into action on day one of his presidency.</li><li>Treasury Secretary nominee Janet <keyword id="6463966" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="yellen">Yellen</keyword> said in her confirmation hearing that addressing climate change will be a priority and will bring jobs back to the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>.</li><li>Partisan sparring over climate action in recent years suggests that the fate of a sweeping and costly climate plan is uncertain.</li></ul><p>Climate change is at the top of President-elect Joe Biden's funding agenda once he assumes office on Wednesday, as the new administration looks to add jobs to the economy while combating the warming climate.</p><p>In his $1.7 trillion climate proposal, Biden plans on reversing many of President Donald Trump's actions that relate to the climate on his first day in office, such as rejoining the Paris Agreement, ending the Keystone XL pipeline, and establishing rules that limit methane emissions from oil and gas drilling operations. The proposals are also intended to boost the still-struggling economy, and by confronting climate change, 10 million clean energy jobs could be created if the proposal is successful.</p><p>"If executed strategically, our response to climate change can create more than 10 million well-paying jobs in the United States that will grow a stronger, more inclusive middle class enjoyed by communities across the country, not just in cities along the coasts," Biden's <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/">website</a> states. </p><p>The climate was also high up on the agenda during the confirmation hearing of Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen on Tuesday. Yellen told lawmakers that Biden's infrastructure plan will involve investing in clean technology, renewable energy, promoting electric vehicle usage, and creating jobs.</p><p>"Climate change is a critical problem facing the country, and President-elect Biden is committed to a wide range of policies to address it," Yellen said at the hearing. "And in the process, making sure that in doing that we create good jobs for American workers."</p><p>Yellen also said that Biden is in "full support" of restoring full incentives for electric vehicles, along with ensuring workers have the skills to succeed in the electric vehicle industry.</p><p>Democratic lawmakers support federal spending for combating climate change. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said in Yellen's hearing that he hopes to advance a bill that will prioritize clean energy, clean transportation and energy conservation - efforts that address the "existential threat" of the warming climate.</p><p>Given the partisan nature of climate proposals over recent years, whether Biden can carry out costly climate initiatives is uncertain, but Yellen remains clear that it will be a priority, and will benefit the economy through job creation.</p>

Biden will move to implement his $2 trillion climate plan on day 1 to bolster the economy and kick off the new administration's fight against climate change

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>President Trump really wants to undo Barack Obama's climate legacy.</p><p>With an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-trumps-climate-change-executive-order-do-2017-3">executive order</a> signed March 28, he scrapped Obama's <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/25/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-climate-action-plan">Climate Action Plan</a>, lifted a moratorium on coal leases on federal land, and started the long process of dismantling various other Obama-era efforts to cut US greenhouse gas emissions, including the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-trumps-climate-change-executive-order-do-2017-3">Clean Power Plan</a>.</p><p><span>Trump signed his executive order surrounded by a group of coal miners. It was a powerful image: a president who promised to remember the "forgotten man" flanked by workers from an industry he's trying to jump-start.</span></p><p>But many <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-epa-clean-power-plan-court-2017-3">questions remain</a> about the implications of the order, including whether easing regulations on fossil fuels will help boost the US economy or <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/28/the-return-of-coal-jobs-is-a-cruel-deception-congressman-says.html" target="_blank">create new jobs</a>.</p><p>But it's also worth asking why Trump, a president deeply interested in his popularity, is following a course of action that's highly unpopular around the country. </p><p>Earlier in March, the Yale Program on Climate Communication released a <a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us-2016/">trove of data</a> from surveys it conducted to find out what Americans actually think about climate change. </p><p>Yale mapped this data, and the visualizations show that a majority of adults think global warming is happening in every congressional district in the US - 70% of American voting-age citizens, added together.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>When people were asked they support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, an even larger majority (75%) answered "yes." As the map below shows, there isn't a single congressional district where the majority of adults don't support this regulation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Still more Americans, 82%, say they're on board with funding research into renewable energy.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Based on that information, you might think Trump's climate policies would be politically disastrous.</p><p>But there's another side to the data. Even though most Americans think climate change is a serious problem, few of them actually talk about it much.</p><p>There isn't a single congressional district in the US where a majority of adults say they discuss climate change "at least occasionally."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>And while a majority (58%) of Americans think global warming will harm people in the US, 70% think it will harm "future generations" rather than their own. Only 40% seeing global warming as a danger to them personally.</p><p>So while climate change is an issue that a majority of people think the government should be addressing, very few people consider it a central problem in their lives (unlike, say, health insurance). To politicians, those stats suggest their constituents are unlikely to vote for a candidate based on his or her stance on climate.</p><p>Meanwhile, the minority that opposes climate action is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-epa-climate-science-myron-ebell-2016-11">well-funded and highly activated</a>. As long as people who want action on climate change aren't talking to their representatives about it, it makes sense for someone like Trump to give that moneyed minority plenty of political gifts, and take in their support.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-trailer-al-gores-new-documentary-climate-change-global-warming-an-inconvenient-sequel-trump-2017-3">Watch the trailer for Al Gore's new climate change documentary that takes aim at Trump</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tsazFrYTE6lOte3cexkrKjZUoHMr_W5x" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Trump's environmental ideas are unpopular all over the country - here's why he's pushing them anyway

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div>Taking action on climate change will be helpful, not hurtful, for the economy.</p>
<p>That's according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Gina McCarthy, who spoke in a public forum on September 24, and the results of a number of recent climate reports.</p>
<p>The forum was hosted by <a href="http://www.rff.org/Pages/default.aspx">Resources for the Future</a>, a nonprofit organization that conducts economic and social research on environmental issues. There, McCarthy spoke on the United States' role as a world leader in climate change action and the ways such action will boost the nation's coffers.</p>
<p>"The bottom line is: We don't act despite the economy, we act because of the economy," McCarthy said.</p>
<p>Her speech came just two days after the <a href="http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/">United Nations' 2014 Climate Change Summit</a>, in which leaders from around the world convened to discuss their progress in cutting emissions, investing in renewable energies, and preserving natural resources, as well as their goals for continuing to address climate change in the future.</p>
<p>There, Pres. Obama described the EPA's proposed <a href="http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/clean-power-plan-proposed-rule">Clean Power Plan</a>, which will crack down on carbon emissions from energy plants, as well as his newly announced plan to<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/16/fact-sheet-obama-administration-partners-private-sector-new-commitments-"> slash hydrofluorocarbons</a>, environmentally harmful chemicals that help drive global warming.</p>
<p>McCarthy added at the forum that investment in wind and solar energy creates "thousands of jobs that cannot be shipped overseas," and taking action against climate change will reduce the economic threats inherent in natural disasters, extreme weather events, and other events brought on by global warming.</p>
<p>Some states have expressed concerns that the EPA is asking for too much too soon, particularly when it comes to the Clean Power Plan's state-based emissions reductions proposals. But McCarthy insisted at the forum that the long-term benefits will be well worth the effort.</p>
<p>"Every dollar we invest in the Clean Power Plan will return seven dollars in health benefits," she said. "One dollar to make 7 dollars. In 2030, total climate and health benefits will reach up to 93 billion dollars."</p>
<p>McCarthy cited a number of recent reports touting the economic benefits of addressing climate change, including a report released by an international commission just last week titled"<a href="http://newclimateeconomy.report/">The New Climate Economy</a>," which suggests that efforts to tackle climate change could actually promote economic growth, and a <a href="https://www.cdp.net/CDPResults/CDP-global-cities-report-2014.pdf">new report from the Carbon Disclosure Project</a> proposing that climate change action in cities protects businesses and the capital they generate.</p>
<p>But amidst complaints about the heavy-handedness of the EPA's proposal, others have argued that the US still isn't doing enough of its share. In a statement following Obama's address to the UN Tuesday, environmentalist and 350.org cofounder Bill McKibben said, "Today's boasts about his climate efforts ring hollow in the face of America passing Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's largest oil and gas producer. We hope that when 'next year' comes and he proposes actual targets, they'll start to reverse the trend."</p>
<p>Still, McCarthy remains optimistic about the US's role in the global effort to fight climate change. "We know a global problem needs a global solution," she said. "Although we can't act for other nations, when the United States of America leads, other nations follow."</p>

EPA Administrator: Acting On Climate Change Will HELP -&#160;Not Hurt - The Economy

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table lead-image-large"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">President Donald Trump listens during the United Nations Climate Action Summit during the General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, in New York.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Though he wasn't slated to attend, President Donald Trump dropped in at the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/">UN Climate Action Summit</a> on Monday along with Vice President Mike Pence. </li><li>The UN summit was organized by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to get countries to agree on <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/assets/pdf/CAS_main_release.pdf">stricter standards to slow the effects of climate change</a>.</li><li>Countries like the US, Japan, Australia, and South Africa were <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1902158a-d994-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Revue%20newsletter">not invited to speak at the event</a> due to the UN's disapproval of their greenhouse gas emissions.</li><li>16-year-old climate activist <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-bio-climate-change-activist-2019-9">Greta Thunberg</a> spoke at Monday's meeting, telling world leaders, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>President Donald Trump crashed the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/">UN Climate Action Summit</a> late Monday morning along with Vice President Pence - even though they weren't invited to attend.</p><p>The US commander-in-chief dropped in for about 10 to 15 minutes before departing the General Assembly hall. A Business Insider reporter at the scene saw him sit with pursed lips in the US seat flanked by Pence, with secretary of state Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney behind him. He stayed for Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and German chancellor Angela Merkel's speeches.</p><p>Trump clapped for the former politician's remarks, though seemingly not for the latter's.</p><p>Trump and his vice president were at the UN building in New York to deliver remarks at the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-speech-watch-live-stream-president-keynote-global-call-to-protect-religious-freedom-event-today-2019-09-23/">Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom</a>, which was happening simultaneously.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Acosta">According to CNN's Jim Acosta</a>, when asked why he attended the UN summit after all, the president responded:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hashtag_click" data-focusable="true"></a> "I'm a big believer in clean air and clean water, and all countries should get together and do that, and they should do it for themselves. Very, very important."</p><h1>The US was one of several countries not invited to speak at the summit</h1><p>Over 100 other world leaders, including Merkel, Modi, and French President Emmanuel Macron attended the UN summit in New York, which was held ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting on Tuesday. UN Secretary-General <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/assets/pdf/CAS_main_release.pdf">António Guterres</a> organized the meeting to pressure countries to slow the effects of climate change, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1902158a-d994-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Revue%20newsletter">according to the Financial Times</a>.</p><p>Guterres plans to get countries to agree to stricter standards to slow the effects of climate change, citing the <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/6/1/15724162/trump-paris-climate-agreement-explained-briefly">Paris climate change agreement</a> as a benchmark. In December 2015, world leaders created the agreement, which states that countries will prevent global temperatures from rising above 1.5°C (2.7°F), and staying well below 2°C (3.6°F).</p><p>"I am appealing for leadership from politicians, from businesses and scientists and from the public everywhere," Guterres said <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/755858467/u-n-climate-summit-sets-stage-for-new-national-emissions-promises">in an announcement</a>. "We face a direct existential threat. Climate change is moving faster than we are."</p><p>Countries that didn't have a climate action plan prepared for the summit, including Japan, South Africa, and Australia, were <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-49795270">encouraged not to speak</a>. Other countries, like Saudi Arabia and Brazil, chose not to take part in the summit whatsoever.</p><p>"Only the boldest and most transformative actions [will] make the stage," Amina Mohammed, UN deputy secretary-general, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1902158a-d994-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Revue%20newsletter">told the Financial Times</a>. "We will see on Monday who is stepping up."</p><h1>Climate activist Greta Thunberg gave an impassioned speech</h1><p>Though the US was represented at the event by a diplomat, President Trump had previously made it clear that the US had no intentions of making long-term commitments to lower its carbon footprint. In June 2017, Trump announced that the US would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html">drop out of the Paris climate change agreement</a>, citing concerns that lowering fossil fuel consumption would take a toll on the US economy. </p><p>Last Friday, millions of demonstrators gathered in hundreds of cities around the world for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-climate-strike-the-best-signs-from-new-york-march-2019-9">Global Climate Strike</a>, a mass protest against inaction toward climate change timed near the eve of the summit. The catalyst for the demonstrations was 16-year old <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-bio-climate-change-activist-2019-9">Greta Thunberg</a>, a Swedish climate activist known for her direct, outspoken manner. Thunberg <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-greta-thunberg-sailing-to-new-york-not-dialing-in-2019-8">sailed across the Atlantic</a> in a zero-emissions sailboat (Thunberg says flying has too big a carbon footprint) to attend the summit, among several other events, including New York's climate strike.</p><p>During Monday's summit event, Thunberg gave an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-49795270">impassioned speech</a> on the dangers of climate change, telling world leaders, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words."</p><p>"The eyes of all future generations are upon you," she continued. "If you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/france-president-emmanuel-macron-donald-trump-paris-agreement-rebuke-2017-6">French president excoriates Trump in English over US withdrawal from climate deal</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Trump crashed the UN Climate Action Summit, where he applauded Narendra Modi and seemed to give Angela Merkel the cold shoulder

<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s <keyword id="6890736" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cooling-action-plan">Cooling Action Plan</keyword> (<keyword id="155506" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICAP">ICAP</keyword>) estimates that India’s cooling demand is set to grow eight-fold by 2037-38 as compared to current consumption. </strong></li><li><strong>According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change">Climate Change</keyword>, India is the first country to have such a plan in place to address the cooling demands of the country. </strong></li><li><strong>ICAP also proposes setting up an R&amp;D ecosystem for startups as well as looking at alternative technology solutions to address this problem.</strong></li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/kerala-floods-could-lead-to-a-surge-in-bad-loans-at-indias-regional-banks/articleshow/65622495.cms">Kerala floods</a> were only the most recent reminder of how climate change can cause unprecedented damage and recent revelations of ‘<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/scientists-calculated-a-point-of-no-return-for-dealing-with-climate-change-and-time-is-running-out/articleshow/65609551.cms">Hothouse Earth</a>’ predicts that things will only get worse. In its aftermath, India, as a part of the <keyword id="772908" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="montreal-protocol">Montreal Protocol</keyword>, is the first country to device a ‘Cooling Action Plan’ in an attempt to phase out ‘Ozone Depleting Substances’.<br /><br />On World Ozone Day, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released the draft <a href="http://envfor.nic.in/content/draft-india-cooling-action-plan-icap-inviting-commentssuggestions?theme=moef_blue">Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)</a> along with a booklet on the ‘Montreal Protocol - India’s Success Story’, ahead of the 2019 general elections.<br /><br />Currently, India is staring at an eight-fold increase of cooling demand in the coming 20 years. Air conditioners, in particular, make more than half of that demand. That being said, India’s per capita energy consumption is still much lower than the developed nations like Japan and the UN, and even the developing countries like Brazil and Mexico.<br /><br />ICAP not only addresses how cooling requirements differ from sector to sector, it also lists of actions that can potentially reduce the overall cooling demands of the country. The overall mission of the ICAP is to provide cooling, as well as heating, in a sustainable and pareto-optimal way without any environmental and socio-economic externalities. <br /><br /><strong>Focus sectors<br /></strong><br />According to ICAP’s current estimates, the building sector will show the most significant amount of growth. It’s expected to grow 11 fold in the next 20 years. In comparison, transport air-conditioning and cold chain sectors are only expected to increase four times and five times as much, respectively. <br /><br />And, according to the International Energy Agency, even globally the building sector is the <a href="https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/Building2013_free.pdf">largest</a> energy-consuming sector accounting for one-third of total energy consumption worldwide. The building sector includes residential housing as well as the sub-sectors of the services segment. <br /><br /><strong>Sustainable cooling<br /></strong><br />The main aim of ICAP is to start from assessing what the cooling requirements are across the sectors and address the refrigerant and energy demands accordingly. To meet its objectives of reduction, the draft proposes mapping the technology available to cater to cooling and thermal requirements. It also puts forward the idea of developing an R&amp;D innovation ecosystem where alternative technologies can be developed.<br /><br />The former includes passive technology that focuses on controlling how heat is absorbed and dissipated through design solutions that improve cooling and thermal comfort with minimal energy consumption.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="cooling action plan" msid="65869101" hostid="261"></div>

<br />The Montreal Protocol isn’t only an Indian success story but an international one. It’s the only environmental treaty to have garnered ratification from 197 UN member countries. The Montreal Protocol specifically focuses on substances that deplete the ozone layer and has been successful in reducing the global production, consumption and emissions of these substances. <br /><br />

India is the first country to have a ‘Cooling Action Plan’ under the Montreal Protocol

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wynn Alan Bruce, a photographer from Colorado, died after setting himself on fire on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-earth-day-grew-from-single-protest-to-global-movement-2020-4">Earth Day</a>.</li><li>A friend of Bruce's said his actions were meant to call attention to the climate crisis.</li></ul><p>A Colorado <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/person-set-themself-on-fire-supreme-court-steps-washington-dc-2022-4">man</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/24/us/politics/climate-activist-self-immolation-supreme-court.html">died</a> from injuries after setting himself on fire outside the US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-justice-stephen-breyer-retiring-2021-6">Supreme Court</a> on Friday — the day the world was celebrating Earth Day. Those who knew him said he was protesting inaction on the climate crisis.</p><p>Wynn Alan Bruce, a 50-year-old photographer and Buddhist from Boulder, self-immolated on the court's plaza at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, a court representative told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/person-sets-themself-fire-front-supreme-court-building-rcna25678">NBC News</a>. The police said he was airlifted for treatment and died from his injuries the following day.</p><p>On Sunday, a friend of Bruce's said the action was a planned protest. "This act is not <keyword id="11898483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="suicide" source="Orion">suicide</keyword>. This is a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to climate crisis," Kritee Kanko, a senior scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, fellow Buddhist, and friend of Bruce's, said in <a href="https://twitter.com/KriteeKanko/status/1518102124713938948">a tweet</a>. "We are piecing together info but he had been planning it for at least one year."</p><p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/24/us/politics/climate-activist-self-immolation-supreme-court.html">The New York Times,</a> Kanko clarified that she was not completely sure of Bruce's intentions. "People are being driven to extreme amounts of climate grief and despair," she said, adding: "What I do not want to happen is that young people start thinking about self-immolation."</p><p>Kanko declined a request for comment from Insider and pointed to a <a href="https://twitter.com/RMEcodharma/status/1518657359547043840">statement</a> from Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, where Bruce often attended meditations and retreats. "We want to emphasize that <em>none</em> of the Buddhist teachers in the Boulder area knew about his plans to self-immolate on this Earth Day," Buddhist leaders from the center wrote in a statement.</p><p>"We have <em>never</em> talked about self-immolation, and we do not think self-immolation is a climate action. Nevertheless, given the dire state of the planet and worsening climate crisis, we understand why someone might do that," they wrote, adding: "We hope we can hear Wynn's message without condoning his method."</p><div type="image" title="Wynn Bruce of Boulder, Colorado, died Saturday after he set himself on fire in an apparent protest of climate inaction." height="834" width="1113" msid="91085989" hostid="261"></div><p>Bruce shared his passion about the environment on social media and seemed to allude to his plan once, in a cryptic <a href="https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwynn.bruce%2Fposts%2F10158735911776489%3Fcomment_id%3D10159157276731489">Facebook comment</a> under a 2020 post of his, where he added a fire emoji and what turned out to be the date he self-immolated, 4/22/2022.</p><p>This is not the first time someone has set themself ablaze in the context of a climate protest. In 2018, David Buckel, a prominent gay-rights lawyer and environmental activist, set himself on fire in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. In a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/nyregion/david-buckel-fire-prospect-park-fossil-fuels.html">statement sent</a> to the media the morning of his death, he wrote: "My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves."</p><p>As extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, storms, and wildfires intensify, activists have been ramping up their calls for climate action. Earlier this month, hundreds of climate scientists staged protests in cities around the world, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-risk-arrest-in-global-climate-protests-2022-4">engaging in civil disobedience by chaining themselves to banks</a>, blocking traffic, and throwing red paint on the steps of the Spanish parliament. Some were arrested.</p><p>These efforts follow a slew of concerning reports, including those of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-crisis-could-turn-around-this-decade-ipcc-report-2022-4">United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a>. In an assessment released earlier this month, UN scientists warned humanity had less than three years to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-alter-human-life-un-ipcc-report-2022-2">curb greenhouse-gas emissions</a> to avoid catastrophic climate effects.</p>

A man died after lighting himself on fire outside the Supreme Court on Earth Day. A friend said he was 'fearless' about bringing attention to the climate crisis.

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