After CLF Push, GlobalFoundries Adheres to Vermont’s Climate Laws
If the state Public Utility Commission approves this landmark deal, it will mark a victory for Vermonters and the climate.

If the state Public Utility Commission approves this landmark deal, it will mark a victory for Vermonters and the climate.
President Biden recently signed this first-of-its-kind climate bill into law – but what does it mean for climate action here at home?
“In the face of the climate crisis, gas companies are wasting precious time in attempting to keep their outdated business model going,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The simple fact is that there’s no such thing as climate-friendly renewable gas and burning gas in homes is not compatible with the clean energy future that Massachusetts law demands. Our state leaders must begin planning for a transition away from gas, and that should begin with an unbiased look at what will actually solve the climate crisis.”
Climate laws create mandatory targets to slash polluting emissions – and we’re continuing to advocate for them throughout 2022.
“The PUC made the right call today,” said Chase Whiting, CLF Vermont staff attorney. “Allowing GlobalFoundries to skirt the state’s climate laws would set us back years in reaching our pollution reduction goals. This would be nothing more than an illegal loophole for a wealthy corporation, and officials saw right through it.”
The state’s latest Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory shows that we’re already behind on meeting mandatory climate targets. State officials must take charge and steer us towards urgent climate action.
Ensuring a just economic recovery from the pandemic means not following a business-as-usual model. Instead, we must prioritize people’s health, provide direct relief to families and individuals, and invest in the future of our communities.
UPDATE: The Rhode Island legislature passed the Act On Climate 2021 bill, which will put the state on track to lowering its climate-damaging emissions and help Rhode Islanders benefit from the transition to a clean energy economy. After a final review, the bill will go to Governor McKee to sign into law.
After years of advocacy from CLF and our partners, Massachusetts has passed a critical climate and environmental justice bill that updates our existing climate law and adds protections for historically marginalized communities.
Massachusetts legislators overwhelmingly passed critical climate and justice legislation. But Governor Baker vetoed the bill – choosing not only to ignore sound science, but also to let decades of racist policy targeting low-income, Black, and Brown communities go unchallenged.