Manufacturing remains front and center on the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2022 agenda as the committee process comes to a close.

Lawmakers are considering a numerous bills this year, ranging from tax credits to workforce development measures, that will impact the sector.

Most notably, the Commerce Committee unanimously passed SB 98, which allows pass-through entities to claim the manufacturing apprenticeship tax credit. 

Under the current tax code, this credit can only be applied to the corporation tax, leaving thousands of small to midsize manufacturers across the state ineligible.

This bill, one of CBIA’s 2022 Rebuilding Connecticut policy priorities, is currently in the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee.

R&D Tax Credit

The Commerce Committee also approved SB 351, which requires the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development to study extending extend the research and development tax credits to small businesses.

DECD would report to the Commerce Committee no later than Jan. 1, 2023.  

Simultaneously, the Finance Committee is considering HB 5488, which opens R&D tax credits to pass-through entities beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

COVID Improvements Credit

The Commerce Committee passed HB 5438, allowing corporate and pass-through entities to claim a tax credit from Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2023 for improvements made to nonresidential buildings due to COVID-19.

Eligible improvements include bipolar ionization and ultraviolet lighting to disinfect indoor air and surfaces, infrared thermometers for screening visitors in common areas, transparent sneeze guards or shields, touchless entryways and security devices, ventilation improvements, and other materials, and supplies and equipment necessary to create a safe environment for employers and employees to return to work spaces.

HB 5438 gives businesses a tax credit for improvements made to nonresidential buildings due to COVID-19.

The credit equals 75% of the taxpayer’s expenditures for a work location of less than 30,000 sq ft with the credit capped at $100,000 per location.

For entities over 30,000 sq ft, the credit equals 50% of the expenditure for a work location provided the credit does not exceed $250,000 per location. The bill allows for a seven-year carry forward.

Workforce Development

The Commerce Committee passed out HB 5266, requiring the Commissioner of Education to evaluate school districts’ student work-release policies and develop a model policy by Jan. 1, 2023.

The State Department of Education will provide guidance to local and regional boards of education and require each local or regional board of education to adopt a student work release policy based on guidance by July 1, 2024.

The bill allows districts to use their current work release program upon approval by the department. 

SB 407 requires DECD to develop and implement a post-COVID return to work plan for women.

With the labor shortage crisis continuing to impact the recovery, SB 407 requires DECD, in consultation with OWS and regional workforce development boards, to develop and implement a Post COVID-19 Women’s Return to Work Economic Development Plan.

This include establishing partnerships with institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, professional business associations, and childcare and transit providers to develop and promote return to work initiatives, paid internships in high-growth industries, job and career fairs, professional mentorships, experiential learning opportunities, and educational and employment coaching services for women. 

DECD would also be also tasked with providing business incentives to increase apprenticeship and internship opportunities for women. 

Career Pathways, Student Loans

SB 228, currently in the Appropriations Committee, changes who administers the Pipeline for Connecticut’s Future Program from a local or regional school board of education to the state education and labor departments.

These offices will assist local and regional boards to enhance existing partnerships and establish new partnerships for pathway programs.

The goal of the program is to help students obtain occupational licenses, apprenticeships, immediate job skills, industry specific class time, and cooperative work placements.

SB 228 switches Pipeline for Connecticut’s Future Program administration to the education and labor departments.

The bill also strengthens language requiring school counselors to provide information regarding the board’s jurisdiction of the availability of vocational, technical, technological, and postsecondary education and training at technical education/career schools as well as agricultural science and technology education at regional agricultural science and technology education centers. 

The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee passed SB 103, which expands allowable uses of Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority loans.

Under current law, these loans can only be taken out for collegiate purposes. The bill expands the eligibility criteria to “post secondary” purposes, including higher education-like certificate programs that are crucial components to the manufacturing workforce pipeline.   

CTEC

HB 5038, currently before the Appropriations Committee, continues the process of separating the Connecticut Technical and Career System from the education department.

The bill makes a series of conforming changes and creates the process for hiring a superintendent for the CTECS in section 17.

The bill also allows the governor to remove a member of the board for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct, and a board member may not be an employee of the system.

CBIA strongly supports separating the CTEC system from the education department.

CBIA strongly supports separating the CTEC system from the education department and will continue advocating for a successful independent system to enhance this workforce pipeline.  

Shifting the focus to educators themselves, the Education Committee passed SB 273, which requires the education department to review statutes and regulations relating to teacher certification and identify provisions that are obsolete, evaluate existing requirements for effectiveness, and whether they are creating a barrier to entry or undue hardship for the recruitment/retention of teaching candidates.

The bill, currently in the Appropriations Committee, also includes reciprocity agreements with other states. Connecticut’s teacher certification process is lined with red tape and barriers that can be overwhelming, especially for individuals with decades of industry experience who can pass that knowledge to the next generation.

Encouraging these professionals to enter into teaching as their second act elevates the student’s education and create well rounded students.

Permit Fees, Release-Based Regulations

CBIA and the Environment Committee worked together to remove section 12 of SB 238, which established an annual fee for a general permit issued on or after Oct. 1, 2022, for any person or municipality authorized to engage in a regulated activity.

In addition to the registration fees, these annual fees could have ranged up to $1,000 per year per permit, with an estimated cost of $3.3 million to industry.

CBIA applauds committee leadership for recognizing the harmful effects this policy would have on the manufacturing sector.  

CBIA applauds Environment Committee leadership for recognizing the policy’s harmful effects.

The Commerce Committee passed SB 102, requiring the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide the Release-Based Working Group a copy of the regulations prior to posting notice on the eRegulations portal.

This group is charged with promulgating the regulations that would switch Connecticut over to a release-based system from the old Transfer Act system.

This is critical for economic and environmental development and will align the state with 48 other states across the country.

Peak Shaving

The Environment Committee passed SB 236, requiring that from July 1, 2022, any diesel reciprocating engines contemporaneously installed for peak shaving purposes at a single facility and totaling more than five megawatts of generating capacity shall be designed and operated so that emissions of air pollutants while operating at steady state do not exceed certain thresholds.

The bill prohibits the use of these reciprocating engines from being used for peak shaving, testing, or maintenance purposes on any day for which the DEEP commissioner forecasts that ozone levels will be “moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups,” “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” “unhealthy,” or “very unhealthy.”

The bill also limits the number of hours the reciprocating engines can be used for peak shaving to not more than 300 hours annually and not more than 500 cumulative hours annually for peak shaving, maintenance, and testing.

The DEEP commissioner may adopt more stringent requirements for diesel reciprocating engines.

The exhaust exiting from a stack must be greater than 34 feet from ground elevation to meet air modeling guidelines.

The DEEP commissioner may adopt more stringent requirements for diesel reciprocating engines, as authorized under applicable federal air permitting regulations.

The legislative committee process wraps up for the Big Three committees—Appropriations, Judiciary, and Finance—by April 8. The legislative session ends at midnight May 4. 

For more information, contact CBIA’s Ashley Zane (860.244.1169) | @AshleyZane9

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Originally Appeared Here

Now open for applications: Transportation, recovery housing, and public health funding opportunities

Appropriations    April 5, 2022 | 9:58 AM

STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: 

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT): Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Program  (Funding Source: State, Federal, & Private Funding)

Who May Apply: Private companies.  

Use: To develop innovative ways to deliver transportation projects across a variety of modes including roads, bridges, rail, aviation, and ports.

Funds: Varies by award.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2022

More Information: Click on https://www.penndot.pa.gov/projectAndPrograms/p3forpa/Pages/default.aspx.

FEDERAL PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention Navigator Program for Racial Ethnic Minorities  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Who May Apply: Public and private non-profit entities.

Use: To provide training and education around the risks of substance use and HIV/AIDS, as well as the integration of a range of services for individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Funds: Varies by award.

Application Deadline: May 2, 2022

More Information: Click on https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sp-22-002.

Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP)/Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED): Pennsylvania’s Recovery Housing Program  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Who May Apply: Any entity registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State which is able to provide recovery housing for individuals recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).

Use: To provide safe housing for individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD).

Funds: Grants up to $50,000.

Application Deadline: Until funds are expended

More Information: Click on https://www.ddap.pa.gov/DDAPFunding/Pages/Funding-Opportunities.aspx.

OTHER PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: 

PA Environmental Council: 2022 Pocono Forests and Waters Conservation Landscape Mini Grants  (Funding Source: Community Conservation Partnership Program Funding)

Who May Apply: Non-profit organizations with tax-exempt status 501(c)(3), municipalities, counties and educational institutions.

Use: To support and advance the Conservation, Community, and Connections goals and objectives of the Pocono Forests and Waters Conservation Landscape (PFWCL) for projects located within the counties of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne.

Funds: Vary by award.

Application Deadline: May 2, 2022

More Information: Click on https://pecpa.org/press-releases/2022-pocono-forests-and-waters-conservation-landscape-mini-grants-now-available/.

UPCOMING APPLICATION DEADLINES:

PCCD 2022 Resource Center for Prevention Program: April 4, 2022  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Any institution of higher education, nonprofit agency, or for-profit organization. – To support Pennsylvania’s Resource Center for Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Programs and Practices (Resource Center).

PCCD Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Funds: April 5, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Accredited state, county, or local Forensic Crime Laboratories or those laboratories that will achieve accreditation within two years of receiving an award. – To improve the quality and timeliness of forensic services with an emphasis on the opioid crisis throughout Pennsylvania.

PCCD Regional Policing Assistance Program: April 5, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Any municipality – a city, borough, township, home-rule municipality, or county. Applicants may also be a public or quasi-public body, or its representative, duly authorized to act on behalf of one or more municipality. – To assist in the formation of new regional police departments or for the expansion of established regional police departments by adding an additional municipality(s).

DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2): April 6, 2022  (Funding Source: Multiple State and Federal Sources)

• Counties, municipalities, municipal agencies, nonprofit organizations, state heritage areas, prequalified land trusts, for-profit enterprises (for some grant types). – Planning, acquisition, and development of public parks, pools, indoor recreation facilities, playgrounds, motorized and walking trails, river conservation and access, stream buffers, open space conservation, and regional and statewide partnerships.

Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner Emergency Medical Services COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program: April 10, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Eligible emergency medical services agencies. The eligible list of applicants is listed by county here. – To support Pennsylvania’s emergency services agencies.

CDC Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program: April 11, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Non-profit organizations. – To establish and strengthen collaborations to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance use and promote the factors that minimize the risk of substance use.

DDAP/Life Unites Us Community Award Grant Program: April 13, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Non-profit organizations. – To promote knowledge about substance use disorder (SUD) and reduce the stigma associated with addiction by sharing stories from individuals and family members living in recovery and broadcasting a message of hope throughout the state.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants: April 18, 2022  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Artists. – To investigate, document, present, sustain, and promote the folk and traditional art of Pennsylvania in order to celebrate diverse heritage.

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission State Wildlife Grant Program: April 22, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Any agency, organization, or entity desiring to participate in the planning or implementation of a state’s strategy. Partners can include, but are not limited to, federal agencies, state agencies, local agencies, native American tribes, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, industry groups, and private individuals. – To develop and implement conservation actions identified in their State Wildlife Action Plan.

PCCD Intermediate Punishment Treatment Programs: April 25, 2022  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Counties. – To support restrictive conditions that are imposed as part of a county probation sentence, needed drug and alcohol-related services, and mental health treatment and supportive services for eligible individuals.

DCNR Volunteer Fire Assistance Program: May 12, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Local firefighting entities in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents. – To support training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

CFA Act 13 Grant Programs: May 31, 2022  (Funding Source: Marcellus Legacy Fund)

• Counties, municipalities and commonwealth agencies. – To support initiatives that will include abandoned mine drainage abatement; abandoned well plugging; sewage treatment; greenways, trails and recreation; baseline water quality data; watershed restoration; and flood control.

DEP Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program: June 30, 2022  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)       

• Pennsylvania agricultural producers. – Rebates for LED lighting (interior or exterior), variable frequency drives for milk vacuum pumps, and variable frequency drives for ventilation fans.

Agriculture Farm Vitality Planning Grants: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Farmers and prospective farmers. – Organic transition planning assistance, as well as professional services to assist with business planning, efficient transitions of farm ownership, strategic farm expansion, product diversification, and financial and technical expertise in order to enhance the long-term vitality of PA farms.

DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants Fund)

• Pennsylvania residents who purchase/lease a new or used alternative fuel vehicle with a purchase price of $50,000 or less.  Businesses are not eligible. – To defray costs of purchasing a battery electric vehicle (BEV), hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, electric motorcycle, natural gas vehicle, or propane vehicle.

DEP Small Business Advantage Grant Program: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: Recycling Fund & Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund)

• Registered Pennsylvania for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and which are taxed as a for-profit business. – To purchase energy efficient or pollution prevention equipment or adopt waste reduction processes.

DHS Indoor Air Management Strategies for Long Term Care: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: American Rescue Plan Act Funds)

• Long term care nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and personal care homes. – Indoor air management strategies in long-term care facilities aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of and occupant exposure to COVID-19.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Statewide Creative Catalyst Grants: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Nonprofit, tax-exempt corporations, a unit of government; college or university; school district or non-arts nonprofit providing arts programming and/or arts services in Pennsylvania. – To strengthen Pennsylvania communities through the arts, connect and increase Pennsylvanians’ access to lifelong learning through the arts, and to champion public awareness and appreciation of the arts in Pennsylvania communities.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program: Until funds are expended.  (Funding Source: General Fund)

• Creative entrepreneurs must operate in the creative industry, be at least 18 years old, a current resident of PA for one year, and (if applicable) manage a business with gross revenue of less than $200,000. – To pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business.

Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Program: No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Fund)

• Fire and emergency medical services companies. – To support the acquisition, rehabilitation, or improvement of apparatuses, facilities, and equipment.

DHS Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Households that are in emergency situations maintain essential water access. Crisis situations include: past-due water bills; termination of water service; or, threat of termination of water service in the next 60 days. – To help families who have overdue water bills or at risk of losing water service for their home.

PA Governor’s Office/United Way of PA Local Innovations in Vaccine Equity in Pennsylvania project (LIVE PA): No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Any faith-based and non-profit organizations with a goal of administering COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as COVID-19 education and outreach. – To host and promote vaccination events. Additional vaccines may also be requested.

PEMA Public Assistance Program: No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• State agencies, local government organizations, and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred costs or damages as a direct result of a federally declared disaster. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania serves as the direct liaison between the federal government and all applicants requesting federal disaster assistance. – To provide cost reimbursement aid for incurred costs or damages as a direct result of a federally declared disaster.

DHS American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Long-Term Care Providers: No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Nursing facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living residences in DHS’ Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) system. – For COVID-19-related costs.

PHFA Homeowners Assistance Fund: No Deadline Provided  (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

• Owner-occupied homeowners who experienced a financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic after January 21, 2020. – To assist Pennsylvania homeowners facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Originally Appeared Here

The mafia hitman from Rochester has been taken back into federal custody. He had been in a halfway house in Florida when he failed to return from an authorized medical appointment. The 64-year-old mobster, Dominic Taddeo, was convicted of racketeering for his participation in The Rochester Crime Family and murdering three people during mob wars. U.S. Marshals Service from the Southern District of Florida and the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force took him back into custody at 11 am on Monday, April 4, 2022, in Hialeah, Florida.

With only a year left on his sentence, Taddeo was in federal custody in Orlando, Florida. He had been released to the facility after previously being locked up at a medium-security federal prison in Florida. He failed to return on March 28 and was listed as “escaped” on the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website.

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Federal Bureau of Prisons

In 1992, Taddeo pleaded guilty to killing Nicholas Mastrodonato, Gerald Pelusio, and Dino Tortatice in 1982 and 1983. He fatally shot them.

Taddeo was a member of the mafia in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions of New York State,

The Rochester Crime Family was an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in Rochester that existed, in a centralized organized form, from roughly 1950 to 1993. Part of the American Mafia, or La Cosa Nostra, the Rochester Crime Family can trace its roots to various Italian-American crime groups, notably the Black Hand, a Camorra racket of the early 20th century, and later Buffalo’s Magaddino Crime Family, of which the Rochester family has direct lineage.

According to Roc Wiki Taddeo was an enforcer, a mafia member who performs killings on behalf of the organization. It describes him as an,

Alleged hit man for the mob. Also involved in plot to bust drug lord Carlos Lehder out of prison and sell him back to the Medellin Cartel in Colombia.

In 2021 he requested a compassionate release from prison, but it was denied by U.S. District Judge Frank Geraci Jr. in WNY.

Credit: 10 Tampa Bay via Youtube

Can You Legally Grow Marijuana At Home In New York State?

When You Can’t Legally Have Marijuana In New York State

Everything Renters Need To Know About Legal Evictions In NYS

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Originally Appeared Here

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State is launching its ‘Cannabis Conversations’ campaign. New York State plans to educate residents about everything they need to know about recreational marijuana use. The outreach will include education on who can consume, where it’s legal to consume, and how to safely consume marijuana. The state has been putting various aspects of adult use into play, including granting New York farmers licenses to begin growing cannabis and issuing licenses to sell weed. Gov. Hochul said,

With the ‘Cannabis Conversations’ campaign, we’re following through on our commitment to provide New Yorkers with the information they need to safely navigate the new Cannabis Law. Education is the best tool to keep New Yorkers healthy as we continue to ramp up this safe, inclusive, and equitable industry.

New York legalized marijuana use for adults 21-years-or older. There are lots of caveats to legal marijuana use. And, not every town, village, or city will permit legal sales on on-site consumption. The campaign will focus on educating New Yorkers about all of the rules and laws regarding consumption and how to do it safely.

Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said,

‘Cannabis Conversations’ is our first public health campaign as we make sure New Yorkers have the initial information they need to stay safe and healthy. We have learned from other states and are excited to amplify these important messages across the State. Meanwhile, we’re hard at work building this new industry, and as it continues to evolve, so, too, will our public education efforts with future campaigns tackling a growing range of health and safety messaging.

When You Can’t Legally Have Marijuana In New York State

Everything You Need To Know About Legal Marijuana Use In NY

Can You Legally Grow Marijuana At Home In New York State?

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Originally Appeared Here

Courts Dismiss COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims

On March 29, 2022, the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision to dismiss a medical clinic’s COVID-19 business interruption complaint. The court relied on its decision in Q Clothier New Orleans, LLC v. Twin City Fire Insurance Co. to find the claims do not trigger coverage under the insured’s policy. Order at 4. The court found the insured’s “attempts to insert ambiguity” into the policy “unreasonable.” Id. at 4–5. According to the court, to hold that loss of use is encompassed under physical loss of or damage “would render the adjective ‘physical’ meaningless” and would be “at odds” with the period of restoration provision. Id. at 5. The court found the governmental orders did nothing to change the property and do not trigger civil authority coverage. Id. at 5–6. The case is Louisiana Bone & Joint Clinic, LLC v. Transportation Insurance Co.

On March 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of New York, New York County, granted in part North American Elite Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a restaurant operator’s counterclaims seeking coverage for COVID-19 losses and affirmative defenses in response to the insurer’s declaratory judgment action. The court concluded that coverage was unavailable because the defendant failed to allege direct physical loss or damage to its property or the actual or suspected presence of COVID-19 at any of its insured properties. Order at 8. The case is North American Elite Ins. Co. v. Mac Parent LLC.

On March 28, 2022, the district court for the Western District of Louisiana granted State Farm Fire and Casualty Company’s motion to dismiss a chiropractic clinic’s COVID-19 business disruption complaint. Since the policy’s plain text provides for coverage only for a “direct physical loss to property,” and there was no tangible alteration of or injury to property, the court relied on the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Q Clothier New Orleans, LLC v. Twin City Fire Insurance Co. to hold there was no coverage. The court noted only the insured’s preferred use of its property was restricted. As for civil authority coverage, the plaintiff alleged no damage to neighboring property, only damage to its own property due to civil authority action, and thus it is not covered under the policy. The case is Cohn Chiropractic Clinic v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.

On March 29, 2022, the Superior Court of Rhode Island granted Affiliated FM Insurance Company’s motion for partial summary judgment in a real estate investment company’s COVID-19 business interruption claim and denied the plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment. The court concluded that “COVID-19 does not constitute ‘physical loss or damage’ in the context of the Policy presently before this Court,” Order at 26, and agreed “with the rationale that COVID-19 cannot cause ‘physical loss or damage’ to property where no physical alteration or damage has occurred to the property.” Id. at 29 (emphasis in original). The court further found that the policy’s contamination exclusion “unambiguously applies to bar [the plaintiff’s] claim.” Id. at 23. The case is Josephson, LLC v. Affiliated FM Ins. Co.

On March 29, 2022, the district court for the Southern District of New York granted Illinois Union Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a health system’s COVID-19 business interruption claim. The court rejected plaintiff’s argument that COVID-19 constituted a covered “pollution condition,” and also found the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege facts demonstrating satisfaction of its policy’s conditions precedent to coverage. Order at 14-16. The court dismissed the plaintiff’s bad faith claim, reasoning that the interpretation dispute turned on “only an ‘arguable difference in opinion’” and that the alleged delay in responding to the claim was insufficient to support a bad faith claim when it “came in the context of a pandemic with ‘staggering’ impacts ‘on life and property’ and . . . at a time when both the scientific understanding of COVID-19 and government mandates to it were ‘rapidly evolving.’” Id. at 17 (citation omitted). Finally, the court rejected a claim alleging violations of New York General Business Law § 349 because “a plaintiff asserting a claim under section 349 must allege consumer-oriented conduct, and ‘[t]ransactions between businesses or sophisticated parties that do not affect average consumers do not constitute consumer-oriented conduct.’” Id. at 18. The case is Northwell Health, Inc. v. Ill. Union Ins. Co.

On March 29, 2022, the district court for the Southern District of New York granted Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a law office’s COVID-19 business interruption claim. The court rejected the plaintiff’s argument that “physical loss should be interpreted as loss of use” of covered property, reasoning that “[t]his reading of the policy provision at issue runs contrary to New York law.” Order at 5. The case is Michael Block, Att’y at Law v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co.

On March 30, 2022, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First Judicial District, affirmed the Cook County Circuit Court’s dismissal of a medical imaging clinic owner and operator’s COVID-19 business interruption claims. The court “join[ed] the vast majority of authority from other jurisdictions” in holding that “physical loss of or damage to property” requires an “alter[ation] in appearance, shape, color or in other material dimension.” Order at 10-11. The court found the complaint failed to state a claim because it did not allege any facts supporting the plaintiff’s assertion that the COVID-19 virus caused such alterations. Id. at 14. The court also affirmed the dismissal of the plaintiff’s bad faith denial of coverage claim because there was no coverage owed under the plaintiff’s policy. Id. at 16-17. The case is ABW Dev. LLC v. Continental Casualty Co.

On March 30, 2022, the Appellate Court of Illinois reversed and remanded the circuit court’s grant of class certification. The court held that whether the named representative of the putative class has a valid cause of action is a threshold consideration, which it found had not been met. The plaintiff failed to allege that its operations were suspended due to contamination in its premises. Order at 37. Moreover, access to the premises was neither forbidden nor prevented by the Orders. Id. at 41–42. Because the plaintiff did not have a valid claim for contamination coverage, the trial court’s order granting class certification was reversed and the case was remanded. The case is Alley 64, Inc. v. Society Insurance.

Motion to Certify Question Rejected

On March 30, 2022, the district court for the Eastern District of Michigan denied a casino operator’s motion to certify to the Michigan Supreme Court the question whether coverage is triggered in a policy covering “all risks of ‘direct physical loss of or damage’” when “a toxic, noxious, or hazardous substance, such as Coronavirus or COVID-19, that is physically present in the indoor air of that property damages the property or causes loss, either in whole or in part, of the functional use of the insured property.” Order at 2-3. The court concluded that certification was not necessary, as there was already a general consensus among courts about the governing legal principles at issue, which “collectively provide this Court with sufficient guidance concerning how the Michigan Supreme Court would decide the controlling question here[.]” Id. at 8. The case is Detroit Entertainment, LLC v. Am. Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co.

New Business Interruption Suits Against Insurers:

The owner and operator of a shopping mall sued Lexington Insurance Company and Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Company in federal court (C.D. Cal.) for declaratory relief, breach of contract, and tortious breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The policy allegedly provides time element-cancellation, contingent time element, civil authority, and ingress or egress coverage. Complaint at ¶ 17. The Complaint alleges that the insurer did not deliver a copy of the policy until several weeks after its inception and “purported to ‘cross out’ the policy’s ‘Special Time Element – Cancellation Coverage’ extension,” id. at ¶ 18, which was an invalid and unenforceable “unilateral post hoc modification” contrary to the parties’ mutual intent and understanding. Id. at ¶ 19. The case is C.J. Segerstrom & Sons v. Lexington Ins. Co., et al.

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Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Willie Nelson, Ice Cube and Lakeside/Con Funk Shun will perform at the Ohio State Fair this summer, joining a musical lineup of artists that include Nelly, Foreigner and Toby Keith.

Tickets for Ice Cube, Willie Nelson and Lakeside/Con Funk Shun concerts will go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m.

Each concert purchased in advance includes admission to the fair. All concerts will take place in the indoor, air-conditioned WCOL Celeste Center.

The fair will be held from July 27 through Aug. 7.

The previous shows for the Ohio State Fair announced in previous weeks include:

Toby Keith with special guest Alex Miller
Thursday, July 28, 2022, at 7 p.m.
$60, $75
Tickets on sale now

Foreigner – The Greatest Hits
Friday, July 29, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
$40, $50
Tickets on sale now

Nelly with special guest Breland
Saturday, July 30, 2022, 7 p.m.
$35, $45
Tickets on sale now

Dru Hill / Raheem DeVaughn
Sunday, July 31, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
$30
Tickets on sale now

Zach Williams with special guest We the Kingdom
Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, 7 p.m.
$30
Tickets on sale now

Scotty McCreery
Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
$30
Tickets on sale now

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, at 7 p.m.
$45, $55
Tickets on sale now

Ice Cube
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, at 7 p.m.
$40, $50
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m.

Willie Nelson with special guest Noah Guthrie
Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
$47, $62
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m.

Lakeside / Con Funk Shun
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, at 7 p.m.
$30
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m.

One additional concert has yet to be announced.

RELATED: Do you want to know what love is? Head to the 2022 Ohio State Fair

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Originally Appeared Here

Thomas Elementary School
Washington, D.C.

5:18 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all.  Thank you.  Please, have a seat.  Thank you. 

Thank you, Ms. Trina.  (Laughter.)

I am so happy to be surrounded by our young leaders.  I am telling you, this is — a highlight of being Vice President is to be around all of our young leaders.  I’m so happy to be with you all today, and I’m so proud of you.

Good afternoon, everyone.   Good afternoon.

It is good to be here at Thomas Elementary and to be introduced, of course, by a graduate of Thomas Elementary.

And today we are joined, as you know, by extraordinary leaders: our Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm; our Administration’s National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy; and our Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, who began his career as an elementary school teacher.

And we are also joined, of course, by the Chancellor of
D.C. Public Schools, Lewis Ferebee, and by a number of labor leaders and advocates for the future of our country: “they” being the children of our nation.

All — all of you are truly indispensable as partners to our administration.  And I bring you greetings on behalf of the President, Joe Biden.

So, it is an honor to share the stage with so many of you and with so many extraordinary young leaders. 

You know, I will tell you that when I look out at who’s here and I spent some time quickly with the principals who are here, the teachers who are here, I just love our teachers.  I love our educators.  I love our principals.  (Applause.)  I really do.  I really do.

And I will tell you: My first-grade teacher — my first-grade teacher attended my law school graduation.  Mrs. Frances Wilson — God rest her soul — attended my law school graduation.  There are many things that have contributed to me being here at this very moment as Vice President, and that is one of them. 

So, I thank you all — the educators — for what you do every day, because I know this work is personal to you.  And you are raising and helping to raise, along with the parents and the community, the future of our nation.

And over the past two years, you have faced incredible challenges, in particular.  You have responded with incredible resilience and strength.  I was talking with Madam Principal earlier, and we toured through the school.  What dedication this has required, in particular these last two years, doing everything that you can in your power to ensure that your students have been learning and growing.  And you have continued to fight to ensure all schools receive the resources they need — in the midst of all of that and before. 

And we might not be here today making these exciting announcements were it not for your longstanding advocacy. 

And the President and I are deeply grateful for all you have done and all you continue to do.

So, about a year ago — I was talking to the Secretary of Education — about a year ago, we took a trip to Connecticut, and I met a young student by the name of Galya, and she was five years old.  

And from the moment I walked into her classroom,
she was glued by my side.  And she was something.  She was absolutely something.  Charming, energetic, intelligent.

At one point, I bent down and I said to her, “Galya, you can be anything you want to be.”

And she looked me in my eyes, and she said, “Well, I want to be everything.”  (Laughter.)  Yes, she did.  She — and she — and she will be.  And she will be. 

And that ambition, that aspiration is extraordinary.  And it is not uncommon.

In every classroom, in every school, in every community
of our nation, there are young people like Galya, like these young leaders behind me who see so much, who are so smart, who have such bright and creative ideas, and who will be the future of our nation and are currently leaders in their own right.

These young people who dream of becoming scientists and doctors and engineers and teachers.  Young people filled with so much passion and purpose.

And our future will be determined, I know that, by these young leaders.

And our nation, therefore, has an obligation to ensure nothing limits their ability to learn, to grow, and to thrive.

     So, today, our administration is releasing the Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure.  This Plan contains a number of initiatives that will improve the learning environment for public school children across our nation.  And today, I’ll provide a few examples. 

For decades, our country has chronically underinvested in our public schools.  (Applause.)  And far too many of our school districts have gone without important repairs and upgrades to buildings and to classrooms.  For example, upgrades to heating, to ventilation, and air conditioning systems, known as HVAC systems, which was highlighted, as we know, during the course of the height of the pandemic. 

In schools with outdated HVAC systems, classrooms are often
too cold in the winter and too hot in the spring and approaching the summer.  And, of course, that harms our students and their ability to concentrate and perform all year round.  And it threatens the health and wellbeing of students, of teachers, of staff, and administrators.

One school, for example, in St. Paul, Minnesota, that I’ve been told about had to pass out wet towels and water bottles in the days before summer break because classroom temperatures were pushing 100 degrees.  A dozen students had to be sent to the nurse’s office.

Schools with inadequate HVAC systems are also more likely to have poor indoor air quality.  Studies have shown that breathing such air, day in and day out, can of course trigger allergies and asthma attacks.

And we know that schools in low-income and minority districts are more likely to have dangerous indoor air quality. This is just simply unacceptable.  Unacceptable.

Today, the Department of Energy, therefore, is launching a $500 million grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to enable public schools to invest in energy upgrades.  (Applause.)  And these grants will be — can be and will be used on a number of the issues that we have just discussed, such as improving school HVAC systems, similar to what happened right here at Thomas Elementary with the help of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Representative who is here — Eleanor Holmes Norton, who’s here and has been a leader for so long. 

I — I cannot thank you enough for all that you do.  I just — want to just take a point of personal privilege, if I may.  And if we can just — (applause) — Eleanor Holmes Norton has been fighting for the children of D.C. for as long as I can remember.  I looked up to you in your role of leadership when I was a student here at Howard University.  And so many of us look to you always as a voice of conscience for what our country deserves and what the children and the people of Washington, D.C., deserve.  Thank you so very much.  I’m so glad to see you.  (Applause.)

And these Department of Energy grants can also be used to install energy-efficient windows, solar panels, and better insulation.  And they will, of course, prioritize undeserved [sic] — underserved, excuse me, districts. 

These grants will also save schools money.  In most school districts, the second-largest yearly expense after salaries is the energy bill.  These grants will help schools reduce their energy costs significantly — savings that can be reinvested in the school to hire more teachers, to make long-needed repairs, or to invest in new technology to support learning. 

And at the same time, these projects will create good-paying union jobs for electricians and carpenters and painters and more. 

Every public school in the country is eligible to apply for these grants, and I encourage them to do so. 

Now, we know that the school day does not start when students set foot on school grounds.  It starts when they get on the school bus or on their bicycle or when they lace up their shoes and walk out the door.  And that is why our administration is working to ensure students are safe and healthy when they are on their way to and from school.

For example, through the Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to Schools, we are providing funding for schools to invest in safer walking and biking routes.  And — (applause) –and, again, because our theory of the case — and I don’t have to tell anyone here: Their school day starts from the time they wake up, which — don’t have me started about what that means in terms of all of the responsibilities that we have as a society to understand that if we want to care for, protect, and support the children of our nation, we must do that in the context in the families in which they are being raised and address the needs of that family as well to be able to provide the best that we can for those young people.  (Applause.)

And for those students who take the school bus, we are investing in a program that is especially close to my heart.  Yellow school buses are our nation’s largest form of mass transit.  Yellow school buses.  Every day, millions of children ride on diesel school buses, breathing toxic fumes that can harm their health. 

When I was senator, I introduced the first bill to electrify our nation’s school buses.  And I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion dollars in the EPA’s Clean School Bus program to help school districts electrify their fleet of buses. 

To all students — (applause) — to all the students who are watching today: You are the leaders of today and tomorrow. 

And as we take on the challenges of the future — and I’m looking at our students — we need your help.  Okay?  (Laughter.)  We need your ideas.  We need your intelligence.  We need your ambition.  And I want you to always have ambition.  And we need your aspiration.  All right?  Thank you.  (Laughter and applause.)

And in that way, our world — our nation and our world will be all that it can be.  And I will make this promise to our young leaders: that we will continue to fight to ensure that you have every opportunity to not only succeed, but to thrive. 

We are counting on you.  And when I look at you, each one of you, I know our future is bright.  Thank you very much.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)

END                      5:31 P.M. EDT

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Two weeks ago marked the two-year anniversary of New Zealand’s adoption of the elimination strategy and a lockdown that successfully stamped out the first wave of Covid-19. By chance, it was also the week that the government announced a major relaxation of Covid-19 control measures in response to the Omicron variant wave sweeping the country.

By most metrics, the New Zealand Covid-19 response – the initial elimination strategy which has now transitioned to a mitigation strategy – has been one of the most successful in the world. It got the country through the first 18 months of the pandemic until vaccines became widely available, giving it very low Covid-19 mortality rates. Life expectancy actually increased during this period. Protecting public health has also been good for protecting the economy, resulting in relatively good economic growth and low unemployment.

The shift to mitigation was supported by the lower severity of Omicron and the relatively high vaccination coverage of the population. However, the high infection rate with the current Omicron wave has pushed numbers in hospital with Covid-19 to over 1,000 at its peak and cumulative deaths are approaching 400. Many thousands of future cases of long Covid seem plausible in adults and possibly children. New Zealand will need to maintain and even strengthen some controls in the months ahead. So what can it learn from the past two years?

Firstly, principles matter. During the course of the pandemic the New Zealand government has emphasised that the response is primarily focused on protecting public health. This starting point reinforces a number of key principles, notably: leadership that listens to the science; a focus on equity and partnership with Māori; use of the precautionary principle in the face of uncertainty; and the need to create legacy benefits for our healthcare and public health systems.

Framing and effective communication matter. By their very nature, pandemics are a shared threat.

The behaviour of individuals affects others. This was a strength of the elimination strategy in that it could rightfully celebrate the benefits of working together (the “team of 5 million”). An emerging alternative framing of “learning to live with it” is somewhat understandable given the nature of Omicron. But this framing is problematic in that it puts too much of the responsibility on to individuals and vulnerable groups to manage the risks they face. Instead, we need to keep emphasising the value of shared health security, the benefits of collective action and the role of government.

Transparency and political consensus matter. During the initial phase of the response, efforts were made to achieve multi-party agreement on the response. Unfortunately, such agreement has now fractured, with the response increasingly politicised. The premature lifting of some safeguards two weeks ago was a likely sign of this politicisation. Politicians need to revisit mechanisms that strive for transparency and political consensus. This matters for Covid-19 but would be essential for even worse pandemics, eg from engineered bioweapons.

Infrastructure matters. The pandemic is just the latest in a series of public health problems that New Zealand has struggled to manage, including a disastrous contaminated drinking water outbreak in Havelock North and a national measles epidemic. These problems can be partly attributed to the fragmentation and erosion of public health infrastructure. Fortunately, these deficiencies may be addressed with health sector reform, including the establishment of a Public Health Agency and Māori Health Authority.

This is an important opportunity to build on the infrastructure assembled during the pandemic response.

Effective pandemic tools matter. The pandemic response has required New Zealand to swiftly develop a new set of tools for managing this threat. They include systems for border management and quarantine, a national immunisation register and vaccine mandates/passes, a national case and contact management system, and frameworks to manage physical distancing and mask use.

Successfully rolling out vaccination has highlighted the critical importance of funding Māori and Pasifika service providers. The response has been supported with improved information tools, including better surveillance, disease modelling, genomic sequencing, wastewater testing, evidence-informed policy development and evaluation. Continuing investment is needed in all of these areas.

Safe indoor environments matter. One of the greatest legacies of the pandemic is that it has shown the importance of the indoor air environment for transmission of respiratory infections. This awareness has highlighted the value of using masks and improved indoor ventilation to prevent Covid-19. But much still needs to be done so that high-quality indoor ventilation is year-round and cost-effectively combined with providing thermal comfort.

There are many other things that also matter, such as accessible and effective health care services, and these will hopefully be considered as part of a future official inquiry into the pandemic response and what we can learn from this experience.

Responding to Covid-19 has taught us a lot, but this pandemic and other future pandemic threats will remain challenging. New Zealand needs to keep a focus on core principles, effective communication, building consensus and continuously upgrade its public health systems and tools.

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Originally Appeared Here

PHOTO BY KATHY CHANG/STAFF

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PHOTO BY KATHY CHANG/STAFF

METUCHEN – A $10,000 grant to install a new bike rack and purchase recycling receptacles placed in and around the school has helped Campbell Elementary School in its efforts “to promote energy conservation and make recycling common place.”

The new bike rack replaces the current limited “rusty and dented” bike rack with the capacity for 11 in-ground mounted bikes, according to Schools Assistant Principal Brooke Kirschner.

“Being that the number of students biking to school has increased, as it is often quicker for Metuchen families to bike, or walk, compared to driving across town, we thought it would be advantageous to secure a more modern, visually pleasing, larger capacity bicycle rack in a similar style as ones being installed in downtown Metuchen and outside of local businesses,” she said. “We plan to upcycle our current bicycle rack by painting it and moving it to the lower-class side of the school.”

To celebrate, school officials, students and the school’s Green Team held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new larger capacity bike rack, which was painted the school color of blue, on April 1.

Principal Vincent Costanza welcomed Schools Superintendent Vincent Caputo; Mayor Jonathan Busch; Council President Jason Delia; Board of Education President Brian Glassberg; Renee Haider, deputy director at Sustainable Jersey and associate director of The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey; Michael Rollins, field representative for the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA); and Christopher Gonda, Safe Routes to School coordinator for Keep Middlesex Moving (KMM).

Campbell Elementary School went through the extensive application process for one of the $10,000 grants from Sustainable Jersey Schools and NJEA in 2019. In February 2021, school officials received word they received the grant.

The title of the application grant was “Campbell Schools Go Green.”

Kirschner said the grant will enable Campbell staff and students to make the school and community greener via the purchase of recycling receptacles and a new bike rack with the ultimate goal of promoting energy conservation and making recycling common place.

The intermediary goals include shedding light on the importance of recycling; drawing attention to waste produced in and from the school; promoting healthy habits; and donating food to those in need.

The purchase of recycling receptacles includes two recycling stations for the cafeteria – waste, recycling, and organic/compost; three recycling stations for outside of the three most frequently used school doors; a compost/organic disposal bin for every classroom and office space; two composters, additional waste/recycling receptacles for classrooms; and tools to help facilitate the collection of recycling and waste materials from custodial staff.

Caputo said he is proud of the collaboration among the school’s Green Team and labor management, along with funding from Sustainable Jersey Schools and NJEA.

“These things don’t happen working alone,” he said.

Busch said a ribbon cutting for a bike rack may rank small on level of importance, but the impact on the community is significant as the borough moves toward becoming a safer place to bike.

Rollins said to date NJEA has provided $1.75 million to schools participating in Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants.

Haider called Campbell Elementary a sustainability model as one of only 43 silver-certified in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program in the state.

“Their application is very much focused on student and staff health and wellness from physical activity, walking/biking to school to indoor air quality and green cleaning products,” she said.

Kirschner said this is the first Sustainable Jersey grant Campbell Elementary has received.

She said as they move forward the school will promote walking Wednesdays; participate in the 11th annual National Bike and Roll to School Day sponsored by the National Center for Safe Routes to School on May 4 and work with KMM to bring back walking school buses.

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Originally Appeared Here

We’ve taken a careful look at the influential report, beyond the headlines, and UN News has identified eight positive takeaways from the IPCC report on mitigation, which we hope will reduce feelings of climate anxiety.

1.     Electric vehicles are on the rise

© IMF/Tamara Merino

A worker at an electric bus charging terminal in Santiago, Chile.

The use of electric vehicles is accelerating around the world, and powered by low-carbon electricity, they are reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land-based transport.

According to IPCC scientist Sudarmanto Budy Nugroho, investments in active transport infrastructure, combined with the deployment of electric micro-mobility – for example e-scooters and e-bikes – can further support greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

“This can also make mobility more accessible to all, including marginalised populations”, the expert said.

The IPCC highlights that sustainable biofuel can offer additional mitigation benefits in land-based transport, in the short and medium term.

 Many mitigation strategies in the transport sector would have various co-benefits, including air quality improvements, health benefits, equitable access to transportation services, reduced congestion, and reduced material demand.

2.     The cost is going down for low-emission technologies

UNDP

Solar powered water pump in Nepal

According to the report, the unit costs of several low-emission technologies have fallen continuously since 2010.

The cost of “key technologies such as solar, wind and electric vehicles, have come down greatly. This can help us reduce emissions a lot. There exist options in all sectors to reduce emissions by half, by 2030”, author Masahiro Sugiyama explains.

To be more exact, from 2010 to 2019, solar energy costs have decreased 85 per cent, wind energy 55 per cent, and lithium-ion batteries, 85 per cent.

Innovation policy packages have enabled these cost reductions and supported global adoption.

The scientists argue that both tailored and comprehensive policies addressing innovation systems, have helped overcome the distributional, environmental, and social impacts potentially associated with global diffusion of low-emission technologies.

3.     Mitigation Laws are expanding

Unsplash/Markus Spiske

Coal is one of the big drivers of carbon emissions.

The expert authors of the report say, with high confidence, that there has been a ‘consistent’ expansion of policies and laws addressing climate mitigation since the IPCC published its Fifth Assessment Report in 2014.

“This has led to the avoidance of emissions that would otherwise have occurred and increased investment in (low-carbon) technologies and infrastructure”, the report says.  

By 2020, over 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions were covered by carbon taxes or emissions trading systems, although coverage and prices have been insufficient to achieve deep reductions.

Moreover, by 2020, there were ‘direct’ climate laws focused primarily on reductions in 56 countries covering 53% of global emissions.

In many countries, policies have enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and accelerated technology deployment, leading to the avoidance of – and in some cases reduced or removed – emissions

However, policy coverage of emissions and finance are still uneven across sectors, they warn.

Scientists also highlight how the Kyoto Protocol, which in 1997 committed industrialized countries and economies to reduce greenhouse emissions, have led to reduced emissions in some countries and has been instrumental in building national and international capacity for reporting and accounting emissions.

Likewise, the 2015 Paris Agreement, with near universal participation, has led to policy development and target-setting at national and sub-national levels, in particular in relation to mitigation, as well as enhanced transparency of climate action and support.

“While a lot of the decarbonization policies that have been put in place around the world have had a positive impact on innovation, technology, deployment, and environmental outcomes, in some cases, they have also had a short-term negative impact on vulnerable groups, low-income groups, and in some cases that they have favoured, for example, large firms over small firms.

“We have also found that this is something that can be avoided by designing policies in a different way or putting in place complementary policies”, explains expert Laura Diaz Anadon.

4.     It’s still possible to change industrial emissions

© Unsplash/Paul Gilmore

Emissions from a power plant in Koln, Germany.

The experts say that net-zero carbon emissions from the industrial sector, while challenging on a significant scale, are still possible.

“Reducing industry emissions will entail coordinated action throughout value chains to promote all mitigation options, including demand management, energy and materials efficiency, circular material flows, as well as abatement technologies and transformational changes in production processes”, the report explains.

To progress towards net zero, industries can take advantage of the new production processes using renewable energies, green hydrogen, biofuels and controlling carbon management.

5.     Cities present a big opportunity for climate action

The World Bank is working with a number of large Chinese cities to help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: World Bank/Wu Zhiyi

The report underlines that urban areas provide key opportunities for climate mitigation.

“All cities can contribute towards a net zero future by integrating sectors, strategies and innovations, whether established, growing or emerging cities. The way urban areas continue to be planned, their interactions with the energy system and demands on materials, determine multiple opportunities with benefits for people and the planet”, expert Siir Kilkis explains.

Some effective urban measures, include more walkable areas and greater renewable energy penetration.

“All of this is possible while cities improve air quality, increase job opportunities, expand urban green and blue infrastructure, and provide other co-benefits for sustainable development around the world as well as climate adaptation”, the IPCC author adds.

The mitigation efforts in cities have to concentrate on:

• Reducing or changing energy and material consumption
• Greening electrification
• enhancing carbon uptake and storage in the urban environment.

Another point of action has to do with the building sector. In some global scenarios, existing buildings, if retrofitted – and buildings yet to be built – are projected to approach net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050, if policy packages, which combine ambitious sufficiency, efficiency, and renewable energy measures, are effectively implemented and barriers to decarbonisation are removed.

“Mitigation action in the building sector brings health gains through improved indoor air quality and thermal comfort, as well as reducing financial stress in all world regions.

Overall, decarbonizing the building stock contributes to human well-being”, author Yamina Saheb highlights.

6.     Economic measures are being deployed

Jutta Benzenberg/ World Bank

These windmills in Romania are part of ‘Europe 2020 Strategy’, a move towards a greener and more competitive low carbon economy that makes efficient use of resources and is resilient to climate risk.

The report notes that many regulatory and economic instruments have already been deployed successfully.

“These instruments could support deep emissions reductions and stimulate innovation if scaled up and applied more widely… Economy-wide packages, consistent with national circumstances, can meet short-term economic goals while reducing emissions and shifting development pathways towards sustainability”, the authors explain.

According to the data, total tracked financial flows for climate mitigation and adaptation increased by up to 60% between 2013-14 and 2019-20, but average growth has slowed since 2018.

These financial flows remained heavily focused on mitigation, are uneven, and have developed heterogeneously across regions and sectors.

However, the authors note that economic instruments have been effective in reducing emissions, complemented by regulatory instruments mainly at the national and also sub-national and regional level.

“Where implemented, carbon pricing instruments have incentivized low-cost emissions reduction measures…Equity and distributional impacts of such carbon pricing instruments can be addressed by using revenue from carbon taxes or emissions trading to support low-income households, among other approaches”, they add.

They highlight with high confidence that removing fossil fuel subsidies would reduce emissions, improve public revenue and macroeconomic performance, and yield other environmental and sustainable development benefits

“Fossil fuel subsidy removal is projected by various studies to reduce global CO2 emissions by 1-4%, and Greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10% by 2030, varying across regions”, the report says.

7.     People care, and they’re engaged

Conor Lennon/UN News

Protesters outside the COP26 conference site

The IPCC authors recognise in their assessment that many citizens around the world care about nature, and environmental protection, and are motivated to engage in climate action.

“Yet they may face barriers to act, which can be removed by actions, for example, by industry, businesses, and governments”, explains author Linda Steg.

She adds that many governments are currently struggling with the question of whether people will really support some radical changes.

“This assessment report shows that public acceptability is higher when cost and benefits are distributed in a fair way, and when fair and transparent decision procedures have been followed”, the expert outlines.

8.     CO2 removal is now essential to reach our goals – but its complicated…

CIFOR/Nanang Sujana

Peatland forests like this one in central Kalimantan, Indonesia, can store harmful carbon dioxide gasses.

The report shows that getting to net-zero greenhouse emissions requires more than emissions reductions, and involves an option called carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

“It involves removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it on land, in the ground or in the ocean”, explains author Masahiro Sugiyama.

The impacts, risks and co-benefits of CDR deployment for ecosystems, biodiversity and people, will be highly variable depending on the method, site-specific context, implementation and scale.

However, reforestation, improved forest management, soil carbon sequestration, peatland restoration and blue carbon management, are examples of methods that can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions, employment and local livelihoods, depending on context.

Likewise, ocean fertilisation, if implemented, could lead to nutrient redistribution, restructuring of ecosystems, enhanced oxygen consumption and acidification in deeper waters.

Moreover, in addition to deep, rapid, and sustained emission reductions, carbon dioxide removal can fulfil three different complementary roles globally or at country level:

1. Lowering net CO2 or net greenhouse emissions in the near-term.
2. Counterbalancing ‘hard-to-abate’ residual emissions (e.g., emissions from agriculture, aviation, shipping, industrial processes) in order to help reach net zero in the mid-term.
3. Achieving net negative CO2 or GHG emissions in the long-term, if deployed at levels exceeding annual residual emissions.

“Well-designed land-based mitigation options to remove carbon can also benefit biodiversity and ecosystems, help us adapt to climate change, secure livelihoods, improve food and water security. Options include protecting and restoring natural ecosystems such as forests, peatlands, wetlands, savannas, and grasslands”, highlights IPCC author Mercedes Bustamante.

Of course, much more remains to be done

Unless governments everywhere reassess their energy policies, the progress achieved won’t be enough to keep our planet out of harm’s way. The UN Secretary-General outlines it in a video message.

 

 

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Originally Appeared Here