Govs Get It Done: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards Establishes Climate Initiatives Task Force

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards yesterday announced a $1 billion Coastal Master Plan that establishes an ambitious Climate Initiatives Task Force. The task force will set emissions goals by industry, evaluate new opportunities for technological advancements, and recommend policies to reduce Louisiana’s greenhouse gas emissions while boosting the economy.
Gov. Edwards’ historic master plan appoints the state’s first ever chief resilience officer to implement the task force’s recommendations. The plan also aims to expand coastal restoration and to protect Louisianans from flooding and natural disasters.
Read more about Louisiana’s ambitious new climate initiative below:
WVLA: Gov. John Bel Edwards announces second-term coastal plans
The Louisiana coast might gain more ground than it loses this year. At least that’s one of Governor John Bel Edwards’ priorities for his second term.
In a press conference today, he pledged $115 million dollars in state surplus to the coastal trust fund. That money, plus payment from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act will pump up the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s expected spending to over a billion dollars for 2021.
WAFB9: Gov. Edwards announces coastal priorities for his second term
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Governor John Bel Edwards announced his priorities for the state’s coastal program for his second term in office.
Edwards says for the first time, the state will receive its maximum payment from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). Additionally, Edwards says he has committed at least $115 million in state surplus money to the coastal fund, which will bring the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s (CPRA) planned expenditures for fiscal year 2021 over $1 billion for the first time in the state’s history.
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COASTAL PRIORITIES

• Building resilience and establishing a Climate Initiatives Task Force
• Pursuing a more integrated approach to the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers
• Pursuing initiatives that will ensure a sustainable oyster industry
• Growing, diversifying, and protecting the economy through investments in coastal protection and restoration and coordinated advocacy
• Establishing the Coastal Innovation and Collaboration Hub to focus expertise and share knowledge

The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate: Gov. announces plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by La. industry
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that his administration will embark on an ambitious expansion of coastal restoration and flood protection efforts during his second term in office that for the first time will target energy and petrochemical industry greenhouse gas emissions as a way of reducing future sea level rise.
“Louisiana will not just accept or adapt to climate change impacts,” said Edwards, flanked by secretaries of state agencies, during a news conference at the LSU Center for River Studies in Baton Rouge. “Louisiana will do its part to address climate change.
“Science tells us that rising sea level will become the biggest challenge we face, threatening to overwhelm our best efforts to protect and restore our coast. Science also tells us that sea level rise is being driven by global greenhouse gas emissions.”