Dem Govs Get it Done: One Year Since Launching Bold Climate Plan, Gov. Mills is On Track To Deliver Sweeping Climate Action

One year after launching an ambitious climate plan, Maine Gov. Janet Mills is fulfilling her promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight the climate crisis head-on.

To mark the one year anniversary of the governor’s Maine Won’t Wait climate plan, Gov. Mills announced new initiatives that provide grants and technical assistance to empower Maine towns and cities to implement their own climate action initiatives, including updating water infrastructure and transitioning to clean energy.

Gov. Mill’s plan to fight climate change is the most ambitious plan the state has ever seen. It puts Maine on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030, 80 percent by 2050, and be carbon neutral by 2045.

Pete Didisheim, advocacy director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, noted how Gov. Mills’ plan “isn’t sitting on a shelf gathering dust, there’s real momentum and life to it which I haven’t seen in that many government reports on any topic.”

Even during the challenges posed by the pandemic, Gov. Mills continued her commitment to fighting climate change. While sending direct relief to struggling small businesses, getting shots in arms, and revitalizing the economy, she still led Maine on a path to meet its climate goals.

Kathleen Meil, policy director at Maine Conservation Voters, praised Gov. Mills’ continued leadership on climate during the pandemic, saying, “It is really such a testament to Gov. Mills’ climate leadership that she insisted we will walk and chew gum to address the pandemic and the climate crisis and do it well.”

DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy said, “Facing unprecedented crises, Gov. Mills has tackled challenges head-on — whether it be the global pandemic or the climate crisis. She hasn’t just talked about solving big issues, she’s taken sweeping actions to address them. Her sustained, unwavering leadership on the issues that matter most have turned Maine into an example for the rest of the country.”