BATON ROUGE - Louisiana is participating in an initiative designed to protect the environment. 

The state has joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s “Race to Zero” campaign.

The campaign is a global effort on the parts of thousands of governments, higher education institutions and businesses committed to continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid  worsening the global effects of climate change.

Already, Louisiana has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, under an executive order Gov. John Bel Edwards signed in 2020.

The Governor also launched a Climate Initiatives Task Force and, in May, joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to state-led action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In addressing Louisiana's new role in the Race to Zero campaign, the governor said, “In just a few weeks, the nations of the world will reunite once again at #COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland to tackle climate change through diplomacy, commitments, policies, and actions to help the world remain below 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. Ahead of that meeting, and in keeping with the greenhouse gas reduction commitments established in my Climate Initiatives Task Force executive order, I am proud to announce Louisiana has joined the global ‘Race to Zero’ campaign.” 

Gov. Edwards continued, “No state in our country is more adversely impacted by climate change than Louisiana – in just the last year alone we’ve experienced major hurricanes, flash flooding and a severe winter storm. But at the same time, no state is better positioned to be a leader in reducing carbon emissions and bolstering coastal resiliency.”

Race to Zero is an effort uniting leaders across the world from business, cities, states, regions, investors, and universities to prevent worsening impacts from climate change, while also creating good jobs, and opening the door for inclusive, sustainable growth in a decarbonizing economy.

For the past ten months, Louisiana’s Climate Initiatives Task Force has been exploring these very issues as it develops a plan for climate action in our state. In July, the Race to Zero’s High-Level Champions, Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz, along with British Consul General Richard Hyde, visited Louisiana to discuss shared goals for climate action, and to invite Louisiana to join the campaign.

To learn about the work of the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force, click here.