ACTION ALERT: CT’s most important climate bill this year

Opponents dubbed it the Green Monster. We know it as Connecticut’s best hope for meaningful climate action this year.

The climate bill that the state legislature’s Environment Committee will discuss on Friday is a monster—and that’s a good thing! The climate crisis demands action on all fronts, and this big bill includes a plethora of practical measures to cut climate pollution and prepare for our future:

1. Helps secure our children’s future by updating the Global Warming Solutions Act with science-based emissions targets and accountability measures to get Connecticut back on track and keep Connecticut on track
2. Grows solar power and battery storage, and makes our heating and cooling systems more efficient and less costly to operate
3. Requires agencies to consider and reduce the climate impacts of new power generation and transportation projects, and plan for reducing our reliance on natural gas
4. Grows the green economy by encouraging sustainable businesses, municipal resiliency projects, and clean energy for state buildings
5. Includes nature-based solutions like restoring forests and coastal marshes to trap carbon and make Connecticut more resilient to the climate change impacts we’re already experiencing

You can read the full bill yourself here.

Of course, bold steps like these means fossil fuel interests are panicking and trying to stop progress in its tracks. They’re trying to kill climate action again.

Legislators need help to stand up to industry lobbyists. They need to hear that Connecticut residents like you want climate action this session.

That’s where you come in. Read on to learn how you can make a BIG impact by attending the hearing in person, or a QUICK impact by submitting comments—it takes less than 5 minutes.

BIGGEST IMPACT: Pack the Room & Testify Live

Opponents of climate progress will be out in force to try and keep Connecticut tied to fossil fuels, so we need to show up in force, too.

The hearing will be held Friday, March 8, starting at 11:00 a.m. in room 2B of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Anyone can come and you don’t need to register. It will be a long day, but it’s okay to come for just part—if you can stop by for an hour after work, that’s still valuable. You can’t bring signs in, but we’ll have stickers to share!

You can make even more impact by testifying in-person or via Zoom. Register here by Thursday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. The General Assembly has a great guide to help your testifying experience go smoothly.

QUICKEST IMPACT: Submit Written Comments

If you have 5 minutes, you can get your support on the record. Visit the Committee’s testimony page.

1. Enter your name, and org/job title if relevant (please don’t list Save the Sound).
2. Select 3/8/2024 11 AM from the hearing list and choose HB05004 from the bill number list.
3. Select “Supports.”
4. Type in or upload your testimony, check “I’m not a robot,” and hit Submit.

It’s that easy!

What to Say

You can use this sample testimony as-is, or customize it with the reasons YOU want to see climate action this year. Personalized testimony is always more powerful!

Honorable members of the Environment Committee,

I live in ______ and climate action is one of my top priorities this year. That’s why I support HB 5004, An Act Concerning the Implementation of Certain Climate Change Measures.

The climate crisis already here, and Connecticut can’t afford another year of inaction. We need an updated Global Warming Solutions Act that gets us back on track to hit the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. I support the updated targets in Sections 2 – 5, a docket on phasing out natural gas in Section 6, and state agency analysis and mitigation requirements in Section 7—it’s time to stop digging the fossil fuel hole. And if government fails in its obligation, those impacted by that failure should be able to take them to court to ensure our agencies are doing what the law requires of them.

Connecticut must deploy more clean energy, and use the energy we have wisely. Sections 13 – 15 will incentivize solar and battery storage and leverage federal funding. (Complementary bills before the Energy & Technology Committee will further grow solar power.) Sections 16 and 17 direct DEEP to recommend efficiency standards for non-polluting HVAC and hot water systems, and set a target for deployment of efficient residential heat pumps.

And to build a healthier future, we need to invest in the green economy. Sections 9 – 12 encourage sustainable businesses and workforce development.

Reducing emissions alone won’t meet all the challenges. I support Section 22 to sequester carbon and to protect our coasts from storm impacts through protecting and restoring Connecticut’s upland forests and tidal wetlands; please consider strengthening this section by setting a timeline for implementation of this nature-based solutions program.

The climate crisis requires action on all fronts. I support HB 5004 in its entirety and commend the Committee for considering this package.

Sincerely,
Name
Address

Stay Tuned

This is a huge week for environmental bills as many state committees hold their last public hearings, so you’ll see more action opportunities from Save the Sound. We deeply appreciate all the ways you step up for Connecticut’s environment!