CT Governor’s Council on Climate Change Is a Solution to Climate Change
In partnership with: Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Under Gov. Ned Lamont’s leadership, Connecticut is pioneering strategies to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and confront critical climate change impacts. In 2019, Lamont reestablished the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3), originally formed in 2015 by Gov. Dan Malloy, that examines ways to reduce GHG emissions and the effectiveness of emission reduction policies and regulations. Now, with an expanded membership and renewed plans, the GC3 includes 23 members from state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses.
The reestablished GC3 has two tasks: achieve a 45% GHG reduction by 2030 and develop and implement strategies to prepare for climate change impacts.
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“The time for action is now, and the latest GC3 efforts offer real and specific actions we can take as individuals, communities, businesses and government while also offering plans and programs to leverage federal funds to increase our impact and reduce Connecticut’s costs,” says Kip Kolesinskas, Working Lands Alliance co-chair.
Changing for the Better
The Working and Natural Lands subcommittee has an Agriculture and Soils Working Group tasked with creating new ways agriculture can help mitigate emissions and adapt and build resiliency, such as an emphasis on farmland preservation and soil health practices in urban, suburban and rural landscapes.
“We drafted and released a final report with more than 200 recommendations on how our agricultural sector and working lands can be utilized to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Chelsea Gazillo, New England policy manager at American Farmland Land Trust and Working Lands Alliance director.
GC3 recommendations have resulted in new programs and initiatives that will help farmers and landowners afford the conservation practices and technical assistance needed to reduce emissions.
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“As a soil scientist and conservationist who has been working on this for 15 years, I’m glad to see progress and continue to offer my assistance,” Kolesinskas says.
Thanks to the council, a concerted effort has been made to create a cleaner, more sustainable future, including historic investments in the state budget to mitigate climate change. To learn more about the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, visit portal.ct.gov.