Our Region

Climate Action in CT

Connecticut and several of its municipalities have created strong plans to combat and prepare for climate change. Below is a timeline of the state’s major recent climate change actions, and a brief overview of climate change efforts within New Haven County. 

State Climate Action Since 2018

2018

The Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) releases Building a Low Carbon Future for Connecticut. The state legislature passes an act making these greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding:

  • By 2020, a reduction of at least 10% from 1990 levels

  • By 2030, a reduction of at least 45% from 2001 levels

  • By 2050, a reduction of at least 80% from 2002 levels

2020

Goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to at least 10% below 1990 levels is met. 

2022

Gov. Ned Lamont releases a 2022 Integrated Resources Procurement (IRP) Plan to enable Connecticut to meet its renewable energy and waste management goals. 

State legislature passes several climate change-related acts as follows: 

    • Public Act 22-5 commits the state to zero carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 2040.

    • Public act 22-14 expands the state’s Non-Residential Energy Solutions (NRES) and the Shared Cleaner Energy Facilities (SCEF) programs and increases the benefits to low-income customers. 

    • Public Act 22-25 establishes mandates for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and rebates, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle emission standards, and solar arrays.

    • Public Act 22-55 requires energy distribution companies to submit proposals for energy storage system pilot programs to improve grid resilience and reliability. 

    • Public Act 22-76 exempts the Millstone Power Station from a moratorium on nuclear power facility construction. 

2021

Connecticut’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory reports that the transportation state’s largest source of GHG emissions, with emissions holding steady since 1990, and residential heating is the second-largest emitter, replacing the electric sector. 

Connecticut releases the Phase 1 Report on its 2018 GC3 climate action plan. Through Executive Order 21-3, Governor Lamont strengthens climate resilience measures through 23 actions in areas including buildings, transportation, energy use, jobs, and environmental health impacts, and establishes a Clean Economy Council, an Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and an Office of Climate and Public Health. 

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), allocates  $79.1 million to Connecticut to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from highway traffic.

2023

To boost industry interest in off-shore wind development, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) requesting that developers submit multi-state off-shore wind proposals to supply up to a combined total of up to 6,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy. 

On the legislative front, progress on climate change stalled in 2023 with the failure of a bill that would have given the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) the authority to set and enforce through penalties greenhouse gas reduction targets for various economic sectors, along with bills mandating net-zero-carbon for most new schools, expanding the state’s solar programs, and tackling building emissions. One important win: A bill allowing DEEP to deny permits for polluting facilities sited near environmental justice communities passed.

New Haven County

New Haven County, situated in South Central Connecticut, encompasses a collection of twenty-seven cities and towns characterized by a diverse blend of urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. The landscape is characterized by gentle low hills that span much of the region, gradually transitioning to flatter terrain in the south, where the county boundary is defined by the shores of the Long Island Sound. The areas around New Haven and Waterbury, two of Connecticut’s largest cities, exhibit the areas with the highest population density in the county. According to the 2020 Census, the county boasts an overall population of 864,835. 

In 1960, Connecticut abolished county governments. As a result, the term "New Haven County" is employed primarily to denote the geographic collection of towns and serves as a colloquial identifier for the New Haven-Milford CT MSA. In this case, the boundaries of New Haven County align with those of the New Haven-Milford CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Since counties in Connecticut do not have any associated government structure, local governance and municipal services are the purview of individual towns.   

As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau formally recognized Connecticut's nine councils of governments (COGs) as county equivalents. The COGs function as regional planning organizations, coordinating efforts throughout their towns, including pursuing grants and funding. However, COG authority is limited. The New Haven-Milford CT MSA includes towns within both the South Central Regional Council of Governments and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Government. 

Prominent employers in the county include Yale University, the Yale New Haven Health System, and the Waterbury Board of Education, each employing between 5,000 and 9,999 individuals2. In addition, the county is traversed by three major interstates—I-91, I-84, and I-95—facilitating transportation and connectivity within the region.

 (1) U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). New Haven County, Connecticut. 2020 Decennial Census. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/profile/New_Haven_County,_Connecticut?g=050XX00US09009

  • Sustainable CT

    Sustainable CT is a non-profit organization established by Connecticut municipalities in 2017 to promote sustainability and equity. It provides a menu of actions and technical assistance to participating communities. By completing actions, municipalities can earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold certifications. In addition, a Climate Leader designation is awarded to communities that are engaging in significant greenhouse gas mitigation and climate adaptation, while benefiting public health and building community capacity. Twenty-two New Haven municipalities participate in Sustainable CT. Of these, West Haven, Meriden, Waterbury, Southbury, Cheshire, and Branford have a Bronze certification, Milford, Hamden, and Guilford have a Silver certification, and New Haven have a Gold certification. New Haven and Guilford are designated Climate Leaders. 

  • Climate Action in New Haven County

    In 2018, the city of New Haven published a Climate and Sustainability Framework, and in 2019 it declared a climate emergency and established a Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force. The Climate and Sustainability Framework notes that more frequent heat waves are increasing health risks from poor air quality; flash flooding from more intense precipitation is already occurring in downtown areas; and that sea level rise and storm surges threaten several areas of its coast. At the same time, although the city’s population is rising, CO2 emissions have slowly decreased in recent decades. The Framework sets goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% of 1999 levels by 2030 and to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Steps toward those goals include ensuring that 100% of energy for city buildings is renewable; supporting community solar, microgrids, and local energy districts; promoting programs for rooftop solar and home energy efficiency; and establishing ordinances requiring green building practices. In 2021, New Haven passed a resolution to electrify its buildings and transportation systems by the end of 2030 and to support other electrification efforts.

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