Despite Energy Efficiency Ranking, Massachusetts Is Losing Ground
While the Commonwealth ranks first in the nation in energy efficiency, it could be doing more to save families and businesses money while cutting pollution.

While the Commonwealth ranks first in the nation in energy efficiency, it could be doing more to save families and businesses money while cutting pollution.
“Our climate and our health require us to switch from gas-burning cars to clean electric,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program and a member of the Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Commission. “The rebate clearly works, and we need more resources, not fewer at this critical time for our climate. We hope to see a short-term funding fix soon, but the State House and Baker Administration must commit to long-term and large-scale investments to keep this popular rebate in place.”
“Once again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Staff Attorney. “This new rule attacks critical state standards that keep our air clean. As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It leads directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. No one, not even automakers, wants to hit reverse on these standards.”
“This report is yet another reminder that dithering by world leaders in the face of the climate crisis is becoming more costly and deadly by the minute,” said Bradley Campbell, President of CLF. “Neither the stroke of a Sharpie nor well-intentioned rhetoric can avert or obscure the irreversible damage already done to our oceans and our security. Only a quantum leap in climate leadership can limit the scale of the catastrophe and avoid utter betrayal of future generations.”
As I remember the lives lost in Puerto Rico to Hurricane María, I urge you to join the millions of people on strike today demanding climate action and climate justice. We have the solutions to solve the climate crisis, but we need our political leaders to take action – now.
Nearly 30% of climate-damaging emissions nationwide come from transportation. Switching to electric cars and powering them with clean energy like solar and wind will slash our emissions and help us avoid the worst effects of climate change.
“The clean car standards are the nation’s most robust program for reducing greenhouse gases in the country,” said Emily Green of the Conservation Law Foundation. “And the states should have the authority— in fact they do have the authority under the Clean Air Act — to protect their citizens from these emissions and from harmful impacts of climate chaos that these emissions cause.”
“Once again, Trump’s EPA has kowtowed to big oil and gas at the expense of the health of millions of Americans,” said Emily Green, CLF Staff Attorney. “At a time when we have yet again experienced the Earth’s hottest month on record, the devastating impacts of climate chaos are impossible to ignore. Slashing the nation’s strongest policy for reducing carbon pollution is simply irresponsible and backward.”
CLF’ers Elena Mihaly and Tom Irwin show that you don’t have to live in a major city, or even on a paved road, to benefit from driving an electric car.
As the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument turns three, we’re celebrating the critical role it plays in safeguarding the health of New England’s ocean for generations to come – and highlighting the need for more places like it in our ocean.