New Haven, CT – Governor Ned Lamont today called the Connecticut General Assembly to meet in a limited special session beginning Monday, September 27, 2021, for the sole purpose of approving a renewal of the declaration of public health and civil preparedness emergencies that were issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lack of urgency to address the climate crisis is at odds with the IPCC’s latest climate report. and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s recent announcement that our state is not on track to meet statutory emissions targets, both of which lend strong support for adopting the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) at the earliest possibility.
Senate and House leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly have expressed interest in revisiting TCI in a special session. However, conversations among the parties about the details of the program continue and have failed to produce meaningful action
Charles Rothenberger, climate and energy attorney at Save the Sound, said: “As the climate crisis continues to worsen, our state has failed to meet its own greenhouse gas reduction commitments. The Connecticut General Assembly and the administration have a responsibility to address climate change and reduce transportation pollution in our communities. Failing to act on TCI in the upcoming special session forfeits a critical opportunity to improve the health and resiliency of our communities. TCI is Connecticut’s best chance to build a better transportation future for all, while reducing the vehicle emissions that harm our health and climate. Senate and House leadership must take up the Transportation and Climate Initiative in a special session following this one.”
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