Montana’s net-zero plan

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 9/11/20

Montana has already warmed by about 3 degrees F since 1950, according to a 2017 climate assessment. Currently, 1,835 individual fires are burning across the state, totaling 257,350 acres and destroying countless homes. To address this growing need to face the effects of climate change, a report commissioned by Gov. Steve Bullock was released Wednesday and provides a framework for Montana to combat and adapt to a warming climate. The Montana Climate Solutions Plan outlines strategies to help reach the governor’s goal of bringing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero in the electricity sector by 2035. It also recommends the state reach net-zero emissions across the economy by 2050. The full report is available here.

“I’m very excited about this plan and the way it was put together,” said Cathy Whitlock, a member of the council and one of the authors of the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment. “Climate change is really the biggest issue we’re facing. It’s a health crisis and an environmental crisis. It impacts people’s livelihoods and people’s health.”