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Down-Ballot Decisions Shaping U.S. Climate Action

As the world braces for a pivotal US election just days away, much attention is focused on the Presidential race and its well-documented implications for climate and sustainability.
But beyond the headlines, down-ballot votes could play an equally decisive role in shaping America’s climate future. This week, we’re diving into these overlooked ballot initiatives that, along with the main race, will define climate and sustainability action in the US.
A ballot initiative in Washington State may be the most important for climate action in the US. It asks voters if they should maintain or repeal the state’s emissions cap and invest scheme. Repeal means that the state will be banned from enacting future carbon taxes and forced to rethink its Climate Commitment Act, aimed at reducing emissions by 95% by 2030.
Washington’s cap and invest system, which charges polluters for going over an emissions cap, has already brought in $2 billion since 2023, all of which has been invested in climate projects. This vote will give other states a pulse check on voters' appetite for similar regulations. With states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland considering their own cap and invest schemes, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said, "This initiative has national ramifications because people will be watching the result."
Early polling suggests voters will vote to keep the cap and invest system. Three other important down-ballot votes for the future of climate and sustainability include:
California Proposition 4: This ballot measure would allow California to issue $10 billion in bonds to fund projects aimed at water conservation, wildfire prevention, extreme heat mitigation, and protections against rising sea levels in an attempt to adapt to the increasing impact of climate change, which is estimated to cost the state $113 billion annually by 2050.
Minnesota Amendment 001: Currently, 40% of Minnesota lottery profits go toward environmental endeavors. If this bill passes, the cash will go into the state's general fund. In the last 30 years, this funding has invested more than $1 billion in climate and nature projects, and the change would be a big loss for the state's climate programs.
Rhode Island Question 4: Voters in the nation's smallest state will have a say on whether the state spends $53 million on environmental-related infrastructure, local recreation projects, and land preservation.
Although the Presidential election will be the main focus of next week's vote and much is at stake, these lesser-known ballot issues will have an outsized impact on US climate policies.
COP16: Biodiversity Results Unclear
COP16 ends today (November 1st), and at the time of writing this, many of the marquee agreements that were proposed before the world’s largest biodiversity event remain out of reach. The stumbling block is - you guessed it - money. The negotiators are trying to cut a deal on the $700 billion that scientists project is needed annually to halt biodiversity loss.
Despite some funds trickling in, with seven countries pledging $163 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, delegates say the global North is not doing enough. A report released before the event revealed that developed nations are paying less than 50% of their “fair share.” Irène Wabiwa Betoko from Greenpeace said, “We are talking about millions that have been pledged…But what we are expecting are billions.”
Plus, big agro and pharmaceutical companies are dragging their feet on a 1% levy on profits derived from genetic material found in nature. Only 36 of 196 countries have released their national biodiversity strategies and action plans” (NBSAPs). And a new report released during the event revealed that more than a third of the tree species are threatened with extinction.
On a more positive note, the private sector is doing more than ever, and NGOs have formed a coalition to encourage debt for nature swaps. In addition, 20 countries launched a "peace with nature" coalition based on principles to harmonize humanity's relationship with nature.
Next Up: The Climate COP29
A pre-COP Emissions Gap report from the UN Environment Program warned that despite some progress, the world will warm 3.1°C above pre-industrial temperature averages. And that the 1.5°C goal will be gone in the next few years. UN secretary-general António Guterres said, “We’re playing with fire, but there can be no more playing for time. We’re out of time.”
The nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for each country delivered before this year’s event would reduce global emissions by 2.6% from 2019 to 2030, which is up from 2% last year. But nowhere near the 43% reduction needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The event, which starts in just over a week, has been dubbed the “finance COP” as negotiations will center around finding more funding for developing nations and creating an international emissions trading system.
EU Securities Regulator Prioritizes CSRD Enforcement
Image by Christian Lue on Unsplash
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) released its annual enforcement priorities in the European Common Enforcement Priorities (ECEP). One of the three focus areas is the sustainability statements required to be filed in 2025 under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
In particular, ESMA called out the enforcement of the materiality considerations for the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and focused on the connectivity between financial and non-financial information. The clear message is that ESMA plans to enforce the CSRD in the first year of implementation.
Flooding, Death, and Illness
Monstrous flash floods in Spain claimed at least 158 lives. Cars were piled on one another and mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. Spain’s Mediterranean coast is used to autumn storms that can cause flooding, but scientists linked this epic flood to climate change, which is also behind increasingly high temperatures and droughts in Spain and the heating up of the Mediterranean Sea.
In its annual review of how climate change impacts global health, The Lancet finds a dramatic increase in health issues related to climate change. Marina Romanello, one of the leaders of the project said, .“This year’s stocktake of the imminent health threats of climate inaction reveals the most concerning findings yet in our eight years of monitoring.”
The report revealed that more people are experiencing extreme heat and flooding, which is affecting people's access to food and increasing the spread of diseases. The most affected were elderly people. People over 65 had a 167% increase in heat-related deaths compared to the 1990s.
In better news for climate and health, the American Lung Association released a report that lays out how they plan to use satellites to measure dangerous levels of air pollution particulate matter where ground detection is not available.
UK Confirms CBAM
Image by Any Rozetsky on Unsplash
This week, the UK confirmed that it would release its version of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). They included financing for it in this year's budget, meaning it will begin on January 1st, 2027. Not only does it share a name with the EU CBAM, but it also includes very similar products from high-emissions sectors and is linked to their emissions trading scheme. It will impact any company importing £50,000 or more of CBAM-covered goods over a 12-month period.
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Other Notable News:
In one of his last acts as president, President Biden announced $3 billion in funding to clean up US ports. The funding could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 3 million tons and provide 1,000s of jobs.
A new report reveals that CFOs are concerned about greenwashing claims as policies requiring high-quality sustainability reporting kick in.
Notable Podcasts:
This week’s edition of the Outrage and Optimism podcast was a COP16 special and a crossover with the Rewilding The World podcast. The hosts were joined by green investing pioneer Ben Goldsmith, who introduced what rewilding is and explained its potential to reshape ecosystems and biodiversity.
This week’s Climate Rising podcast from the Harvard Business Review explores how public policy shapes the energy transition. The hosts speak with David Cash, the Regional Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for New England. He highlights how the clean energy transition in the United States is being driven by public policies, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the IRA, and explains the difficult role the EPA has in balancing climate investments with environmental justice.
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