In 2020, the Vermont Legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (Act 153 as Enacted), which created legally binding emission reduction targets. The Act was created in response to concerns around Vermont’s changing climate and the magnitude of what must be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change on Vermont’s landscape. The Act requires Vermont to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. Emissions would need to be 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below by 2050. In addition to the emission reductions required by the statute, the law also directs the Council to consider opportunities for conservation through long-term carbon sequestration and identify actions Vermont communities can take to better prepare for more extreme weather.
