This week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker testified about climate change before the House Committee on Natural Resources. This was the Committee’s first hearing on the issue of climate change since 2009. Most notable were the panelists who testified before the Committee, including a bipartisan pairing of governors, scientists and climate activists.
During testimony, Governor Baker talked about his administration’s bipartisan record of addressing climate change while urging Washington officials to look beyond politics and work together to develop a multi-faceted approach to this critical issue. He discussed some of the Commonwealth’s climate and clean energy successes to date, saying that aggressive targets for carbon emission reductions established earlier have helped drive changes that focus on more clean energy.
At Nexamp, we are very excited to see Governor Baker share the Massachusetts climate and clean energy success story with Congress. Over the last decade, we have proven that doing the right thing for the environment is also doing the right thing for the economy. Experience shows that strong climate policy reduces emissions and energy use, while creating tens of thousands of jobs in across the Commonwealth. Congress would be wise to follow Massachusetts’ lead and Massachusetts would be wise to step up the intensity and pace of its work. We’ve enjoyed taking a leadership position, but there is much more work to do and all of us at Nexamp are ready to do it.
Kelly Friend
Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs