We blogged yesterday about the latest Next 10 report that
analyzes the economic impacts of policies designed to help
California reduce its climate pollution. It notes California’s
record-breaking pace on clean energy funding and innovation,
while reducing pollution and growing its economy. Since 1990,
California’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 16 percent
while carbon emissions per capita fell. Today, a new report
released by Environment America finds that the 10 Northeastern
states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have
seen similar results. The states cut per capita carbon emissions
20 percent faster than the rest of the nation from 2000-2009
while regional per capital GDP grew 87 percent faster. Add this
good news to the findings of a report released last
November—which estimated that investments made by RGGI states in
its first three years of operation added economic value worth
more than $1.6 billion (nearly $33 per person) and 16,000
jobs—and you have further proof that strong envi