Groups say New Mexico is failing on its climate goals

Two recent reports find that New Mexico is failing on its climate goals under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The Environmental Defense Fund and the Center for Biological Diversity issued the reports. EDF analyzed emission projections through 2030 while developing its report. Meanwhile the Center for Biological Diversity’s report, which it calls a scorecard, primarily focuses […]

Groups say New Mexico is failing on its climate goals

Two recent reports find that New Mexico is failing on its climate goals under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The Environmental Defense Fund and the Center for Biological Diversity issued the reports.

EDF analyzed emission projections through 2030 while developing its report. Meanwhile the Center for Biological Diversity’s report, which it calls a scorecard, primarily focuses on the governor and scores her efforts to address climate change.

New Mexico has a goal of reducing emissions by at least 26 percent below the 2005 levels by 2025 and by at least 50 percent compared to 2005 by 2050. But, the report claims, the state will not come close to meeting those goals. Instead, by 2025 New Mexico may experience a 1 percent increase in emissions or, if emissions are cut, it may be a 3 percent reduction. By 2030, those reductions could be 9 percent to 16 percent cuts in emissions compared to 2005 levels.

Furthermore, EDF says that current state policies are not enough to bring emissions down to the levels set in the executive order that Lujan Grisham issued in 2019. 

“The fact that New Mexico is falling far short of its climate goals should be a wake-up call to our elected leaders to act with urgency. New Mexico’s children are the most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change and our communities — especially people of color, women, and communities impacted by extractive industries — have long been on the frontlines of climate injustice overburdened by environmental and socioeconomic inequities,” Celerah Hewes, a national field manager for Moms Clean Air Force who lives in Albuquerque, said in a statement. “We need strong action now to curb climate-warming emissions to protect the health of our families and ensure access to clean air and water for generations to come.”

EDF provides several recommendations for the governor to help close those gaps. Those recommendations include increasing funding and capacity at state agencies like the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and the New Mexico Environment Department and leveraging federal funding available through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“New Mexico is falling short of achieving its climate targets, but the opportunity for putting in place policies to do so and for using those policies to drive creation of jobs, new investment in the state and just establishment of a healthier and safer future, reducing pollution now to reduce health impacts. Those opportunities have frankly never been better,” said Alex DeGolia, director of state legislative and regulatory affairs for EDF, during an interview with NM Political Report. 

But, at the same time, politics can be a challenge in a state like New Mexico where a large portion of the budget comes from fossil fuels. DeGolia said the policies and efforts to address climate change are important for the state’s future as the changing climate could lead to less water availability and hotter temperatures.

“Those goals that the governor and New Mexico more broadly established for itself are aligned with what the best available climate science says is necessary in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change and really in terms of both near and long term climate impacts, the thing that’s most important is cutting climate pollution in line with those targets,” he said.

Because of that, EDF chose to look at what actions are being taken to reach those goals and what have the results of those actions been.

He said, from EDF’s perspective, the biggest challenge that New Mexico faces in reaching the goals is in state policy.

“The state does not have a comprehensive climate change policy in place that requires regulations capable of actually reducing emissions consistent with those goals,” he said.

The goals that New Mexico does have were set in place through an executive order. DeGolia said the state agencies like the New Mexico Environment Department do have the ability to undertake actions without legislation to help New Mexico meet those goals. He gave the example of the current efforts to implement clean cars rules.

At the same time, legislation could provide more durable policies that can’t be reversed when administrations change. 

“We think that new legislation that establishes a comprehensive climate program and requirement for additional regulations is incredibly important to actually get on track and to ensure that any climate policies put in place in the coming years are durable and are capable of requiring reductions toward 2030 and then ultimately toward eliminating emissions altogether by mid century.”

The most important policy, he said, would be to create “a firm enforceable limit on climate pollution across all sources in the state.”

That could be done through legislation establishing a requirement of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and then allowing the New Mexico Environment Department to undertake a rulemaking that would detail how that will be achieved.

He said that it is also important to have policies that “prioritize advancing environmental justice and a just energy transition for New Mexico’s communities and for its energy workers.” 

New Mexico is one of 25 states and territories that have established climate goals.

DeGolia said New Mexico is not unique in falling short of its goals. He said a report released by EDF in July found that the 25 states and territories that have set emissions reductions targets are collectively on track to reduce emissions by between 29 percent and 37 percent by 2030. 

Center for Biological Diversity says governor is ‘on the verge of failure’

Meanwhile, the Center for Biological Diversity’s report is a scorecard on the governor’s actions to address the climate crisis. The Center ranks her as “on the verge of failure,” stating that she has only taken one of five actions needed to mitigate climate change and criticizing her for promoting initiatives like hydrogen energy. The organization further criticized the governor for the increase in oil and gas production in New Mexico since she took office.

“Unfortunately, over the last five years of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s leadership, oil and gas production in New Mexico has skyrocketed,” the scorecard states. “The state’s oil production has more than doubled since the governor took office, and New Mexico is now the second-largest oil-producing and seventh-largest gas-producing state in the nation.”

The Center’s scorecard primarily focuses on the oil and gas sector.

The five actions that it graded her on include:

  • Working to prevent new and future oil and gas production and phasing down extraction
  • Developing and enforcing effective policies for reducing methane emissions from super polluters
  • Implementing buffer zones to protect people from oil and gas emissions 
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles
  • Taking actions to transition the state to clean, renewable energy and not relying on “false solutions” like carbon capture and hydrogen

The Center states that the governor has taken actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, but has not taken the four other actions needed in the face of climate change.

While New Mexico has implemented new measures aimed at curtailing emissions, including methane, from oil and gas production, the Center criticized these regulations for relying on self-reporting by operators. The scorecard alleges that the regulations are unenforced and haven’t resulted in decreasing the practice of venting and flaring. 

“Gov. Lujan Grisham can’t claim to be a climate leader while overseeing a massive expansion of oil and gas extraction in our state,” Gail Evans, an attorney at the Center, said in a press release. “Under her leadership, New Mexico’s oil and gas production has become a top threat to the world’s climate. With the clock ticking, the governor must use her authority to protect New Mexicans and the planet from climate devastation.”

We're ad free

That means that we rely on support from readers like you. Help us keep reporting on the most important New Mexico Stories by donating today.

Related

Former LFC chair John Arthur Smith dies

Former LFC chair John Arthur Smith dies

Longtime powerful state senator John Arthur Smith, a conservative Democrat who wielded a large amount of power around the state budget for years, died…
How Native families are particularly impacted by food insecurity

How Native families are particularly impacted by food insecurity

One in five children in New Mexico and one in seven people in the state experience food insecurity, according to a report presented to…
New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

With 8,800 nurse positions posted for hiring in New Mexico, hospital leadership told the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday that access…
SCOTUS rejects attempt to pause implementation of federal methane rule

SCOTUS rejects attempt to pause implementation of federal methane rule

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an attempt to delay the implementation of a federal rule intended to curb methane emissions from oil and gas…
Air Force extends comment period on low-altitude flights in the Gila area

Air Force extends comment period on low-altitude flights in the Gila area

Following requests from members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, the U.S. Air Force has extended the comment period on a proposal to increase low-altitude…
PRC raises community solar cap by 300 megawatts

PRC raises community solar cap by 300 megawatts

State regulators are increasing the amount of community solar that can come online in New Mexico. During its Thursday meeting, the New Mexico Public…
Early childhood summit convened to discuss future of program

Early childhood summit convened to discuss future of program

About 200 people from tribal governors to legislators to advocates and teachers gathered at Bishop’s Lodge to discuss Early Childhood Education’s future in New…
Stansbury outlines funding secured for early childhood and youth services programs

Stansbury outlines funding secured for early childhood and youth services programs

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury secured $8.3 million for childhood development and youth services in the 1st congressional district through federal community project funding. Stansbury,…
Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican The main things that bring Brayan Chavez to school every day: Seeing, talking to and engaging with…
Heinrich introduces legislation to address affordable housing

Heinrich introduces legislation to address affordable housing

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, introduced legislation in the Senate on Monday that would provide tax credits to incentivize new investments and additional…
New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

With 8,800 nurse positions posted for hiring in New Mexico, hospital leadership told the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday that access…
As rhetoric around undocumented workers heats up, new report shows their tax contribution

As rhetoric around undocumented workers heats up, new report shows their tax contribution

A nonprofit group released data showing how much taxes migrants pay in the U.S. as rhetoric on immigration grows more prominent just months from…
Heinrich helps introduce resolution in response to death of Amber Nicole Thurman

Heinrich helps introduce resolution in response to death of Amber Nicole Thurman

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich helped to introduce a resolution on Tuesday in the Senate that every patient has the basic right to emergency health…
Project 2025: How a consolidation of federal power could ban abortion

Project 2025: How a consolidation of federal power could ban abortion

If Project 2025 becomes federal policy next year, it would upend abortion rights and reproductive healthcare through a reshaping of and consolidation of power…
New abortion clinic in Las Cruces expected to provide more abortion training

New abortion clinic in Las Cruces expected to provide more abortion training

One of the consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision is the lack of abortion care training for medical residents training to become…
New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

New Mexico in critical nursing shortage

With 8,800 nurse positions posted for hiring in New Mexico, hospital leadership told the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday that access…
Heinrich helps introduce resolution in response to death of Amber Nicole Thurman

Heinrich helps introduce resolution in response to death of Amber Nicole Thurman

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich helped to introduce a resolution on Tuesday in the Senate that every patient has the basic right to emergency health…
WNMU: Grow your own rural healthcare providers pipeline 

WNMU: Grow your own rural healthcare providers pipeline 

Western New Mexico University wants to create a pipeline of programs with a rural healthcare focus to try to address the medical provider shortage…
Oil-and-gas giant gives big to dark money group

Oil-and-gas giant gives big to dark money group

By Trip Jennings, New Mexico In Depth Chevron Corporation gave the single largest contribution to a dark money group that attempted but failed to…
Survey shows candidates are for legislative reform, unsure about ranked choice voting

Survey shows candidates are for legislative reform, unsure about ranked choice voting

A survey by four nonprofit organizations showed that candidates for state and federal office support pro-democracy and government reform, according to those groups. Common…
Project 2025 takes aim at elections: ‘Sowing the seeds of doubt’

Project 2025 takes aim at elections: ‘Sowing the seeds of doubt’

Project 2025, a political agenda by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, seeks to empower the next conservative president towards what appears to be…
Former LFC chair John Arthur Smith dies

Former LFC chair John Arthur Smith dies

Longtime powerful state senator John Arthur Smith, a conservative Democrat who wielded a large amount of power around the state budget for years, died…
Politics newsletter: High court gift ban and buprenorphine

Politics newsletter: High court gift ban and buprenorphine

Hello fellow political junkies! Currently, Supreme Court justices do not have the same gift restrictions that members of Congress and other federal officials, including…
Torrez announces legislation priorities to protect victims of sexual assault

Torrez announces legislation priorities to protect victims of sexual assault

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez unveiled two legislative priorities to expand crime victim protections on Friday. Torrez held a press conference in Albuquerque…

GET INVOLVED

© 2023 New Mexico Political Report