Transportation and Climate Initiative is our vehicle for success

Transportation emissions account for nearly 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Connecticut, and approximately two-thirds of pollutants linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Connecticut has an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean our air and improve public health by taking decisive action to implement the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative. The Transportation and Climate Initiative is based on proven, market-based approaches to reducing harmful emissions in the most cost-effective manner, and applying these principles to the transportation sector will allow us to address the state’s largest source of air pollution.

We all know what’s at stake. The exceptional is becoming the new normal as what were “once every hundred years” events become increasingly frequent: from more extreme heat days and aggravation of preexisting health conditions in our most vulnerable citizens, to more severe storms, rising sea levels and flooding that place more than $400 billion in private assets and significant portions of our transportation infrastructure at risk, Connecticut is vulnerable to climate change — and these vulnerabilities are economic and health-related as much as they are environmental.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative addresses these issues in a two-pronged way: by capping emissions from on-road transportation fuels, and by auctioning emission allowances to fuel wholesalers. Because of the cap, emissions reductions are guaranteed. And funding from the auctions will be used to mitigate the harmful health and environmental impacts of transportation pollution, to increase the resiliency of our built environment and to reduce the demand for polluting fuels by investing in a forward-looking transportation system that incorporates zero-emission vehicles, improved transit and enhanced mobility options for everyone. Investment in these complementary clean transportation polices, in turn, accelerates and lowers the cost of emission reductions.

Some in the fossil fuel industry are engaging in “big lie” tactics to create opposition to something that should be entirely uncontroversial: that corporations should be responsible for the harmful impacts of the products they sell. That is not an antibusiness idea. Quite the opposite; it’s a pro-business idea that incentivizes innovation and rewards the most efficient and responsible businesses.

In addition to the clear environmental and health benefits, the program also produces significant economic benefits for Connecticut. For participating jurisdictions, the program has been estimated to provide an average annual increase in state GDP of $97 million, an increase in disposable personal income of $75 million, and an increase in employment of over 400 job-years. So all of the metrics are positive.

While the Transportation and Climate Initiative is a regional program, each state has full control over how its auction revenues are invested. It’s up to the state (and state stakeholders) how to prioritize those investments.

And a focus on equity is built in. The program dedicates significant funding to benefit communities currently overburdened by pollution or underserved by the transportation system. Urban, suburban and rural communities will all benefit from increased investment in a cleaner future for Connecticut. It’s time for Connecticut to shed our adherence to the “steady habits” that have resulted in congested roads, poor air quality and outdated infrastructure. Instead, we must reclaim the state’s legacy as a center of economic innovation and environmental leadership. Implementing the Transportation and Climate Initiative will do just that, while ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for all of Connecticut’s residents.

The program dedicates significant funding to benefit communities currently overburdened by pollution or underserved by the transportation system.

File photo Afternoon traffic on I-95 in Bridgeport.