The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordered the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to take additional measures to implement the Global Warming Solutions Act, a state law enacted in 2008. Specifically, the court held that the Act required MassDEP to impose volumetric limits on aggregate greenhouse gas emissions from certain types of sources and that these limits were required to decline on an annual basis. The court was not persuaded by MassDEP’s argument that it had complied with the Act’s requirements by implementing several regulatory initiatives, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program and a low emission vehicle program. The court said that these other initiatives were “important to the Commonwealth’s overall scheme of reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time,” but that more must be done to attain the “actual, measurable, and permanent emissions reductions” required by the Act.

Challenge to adequacy of Massachusetts programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Kain v. Department of Environmental Protection

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Massachusetts High Court Ordered State to Impose Limits on Annual Aggregate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Filed

United States of America

Massachusetts

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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A target to reduce the prevalence of a greenhouse gas over a specific time frame

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Air pollution involves harmful contaminants in the air, affecting both indoor and outdoor environments. It can lead to health issues like respiratory diseases and heart problems, and climate impacts such as global warming. Pollutants can damage plants, trees, habitats, and water bodies like rivers and lakes.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

Jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment. We include jobs which require a high amount of green skills or which spend much of their time on green activities, as well as jobs transforming polluting industries.

Any compulsory, unrequited payment to the government levied on corporations or individuals. This can be for environmental reasons, such as introducing a Carbon tax to set a price that emitters must pay for the greenhouse gases they emit.

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Massachusetts High Court Ordered State to Impose Limits on Annual Aggregate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Finance