HOUSE  .   .   .   .   .   .   .  No. 3994

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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                              HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, November 1, 2017.                         

The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Bill relative to Massachusetts participation in the Paris Climate Agreement's Green House Gas Emission Standards (House, No. 3564), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No. 3994).

For the committee,

JEFFREY SÁNCHEZ.

FILED ON: 11/1/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3994

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to Massachusetts participation in the Paris Climate Agreement's Green House Gas Emission Standards.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The General Court hereby finds and declares that the commonwealth recognizes the importance of international cooperation in addressing climate change and the importance of the global initiative to provide an up-to-date, transparent global picture of efforts to tackle climate change from state and regional governments.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 21N of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Market-based compliance mechanism” the following 3 definitions:-

“Non-Party stakeholder”, may include, but is not limited to civil society, the private sector, financial institutions, cities, towns and other subnational authorities.

“Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action” or “NAZCA”, the online CO2 emission data gathering tool developed by the United Nations with the governments of France and Peru for the twenty-first session of the Conference of Parties in Paris.

“Paris Agreement”, the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

SECTION 3. Section 2 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

(d) The department may, as appropriate: (i) adopt rules and regulations that support efforts and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or to decrease vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change, (ii) ensure that such actions and efforts support the international guidelines set forth in the Paris Agreement, and (iii) document state and local efforts at reducing carbon emissions as a non-party stakeholder with the NAZCA platform.

SECTION 4.  Section 5 of said chapter 21N, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 25, the words, “and (x)”, and inserting in place thereof, the following:- (x) state actions undertaken pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of section 2; and (xi).

SECTION 5. Section 6 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

In promulgating regulations to implement its plan for climate change mitigation, the department shall strive to meet or exceed the standards adopted by the United Nations.