The Road To Net Zero Is Paved With Numerous Policy Initiatives

• Published date: 26 January 2021
• Subject Matter: Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Oil, Gas & Electricity, Renewables, Climate Change
• Law Firm: Holland & Knight
• Author: Mr Mark Kalpin, Dianne Phillips, Maria De La Motte and Saqib Z. Hossain

While the presidential transition has focused attention on the energy and environmental policy initiatives that likely will be undertaken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to cement its status as one of the national leaders on addressing climate change. Over the last several months, Massachusetts issued or proposed a number of new initiatives, including the release of the Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap (the Roadmap) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan (CECP) for 2030; the filing, veto and refiling of a landmark climate bill, An Act Creating a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth (S. 2995); and efforts by the City of Boston to amend and strengthen its Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO).

The Holland & Knight Energy and Natural Resources Blog will be publishing a series of articles exploring these topics in greater depth, including the implications for various industries, over the coming weeks and months. This post provides an introductory overview of these recent Massachusetts developments.

A Background on Massachusetts Climate Policy

Massachusetts has a well-established history of taking early action to address climate change. In 2008, the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) was signed into law, which required the Commonwealth to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In 2010, the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 was published, outlining the action steps that would be taken to achieve the required 2020 emissions limit. This plan was updated in 2015. In 2018, the GWSA 10-Year Progress Report was published, demonstrating the Commonwealth was on track to meet the 2020 limits. In his January 2020 State of the Commonwealth address, Gov. Charlie Baker committed Massachusetts to achieving "Net Zero" by 2050, which the administration later defined as "[A] level of statewide greenhouse gas emissions that is equal in quantity to the amount of carbon dioxide or its equivalent that is removed from the atmosphere and stored annually by, or attributable to, the Commonwealth; provided, however, that in no event shall the level of emissions be greater than a level that is 85 percent below the 1990 level."

Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap

The Roadmap was issued by the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and identifies "cost-effective and equitable strategies to ensure Massachusetts achieves net-zero greenhouse gas...