Chapter 13Climate Initiative Task Force

The Climate Initiative Task Force will have an important role in improving our resilience, sustaining our coast, and helping to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The Governor’s Executive Order #8 created a Climate Initiative Task Force (CITF) to reduce net emissions to 0 by 2050. CITF will investigate and make recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating in Louisiana to achieve the stated greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. This is necessary to improve the health and welfare of the people of Louisiana and advance Louisiana’s economic and energy profile.

The GHG reduction goals are:

• • By 2025, reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% of 2005 levels;
  • By 2030, reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 40-50% of 2005 levels; and
  • By 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero

Within the task force, six sector-based committees are charged with developing and evaluating emissions reduction proposals and implementation strategies to reach short, medium, and long-term emission reduction goals.

• • Transportation Committee
  • Agriculture, Forestry, Conservation and Waste Committee
  • Land Use, Buildings, and Housing Committee
  • Manufacturing and Industry Committee
  • Power, Production, Distribution and Use Committee
  • Mining Committee

Four advisory groups are tasked to develop fundamental objectives and a rubric for evaluating the impacts of potential solutions and provide support to Task Force and committees as needed:

• • Equity Advisory Group meeting
    • Collette Pichon Battle, Gulf South Center for Law & Policy
  • Finance Advisory Group
    • Brad Lambert, Louisiana Economic Development
  • Science Advisory Group
    • Virginia Burkett, USGS, and Dr. Mark Zappi, University of Louisiana Lafayette
  • Legal Advisory Group meeting
    • Robert Verchick, Loyola University College of Law

State Agencies Involved: Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Department of Transportation and Development, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Administration – Facility Planning & Control, and Louisiana Economic Development

Points of Contact

• • Office of the Governor- Coastal Activities, Deputy Director, Harry Vorhoff: harry.vorhoff@la.gov
  • Office of the Governor- Coastal Activities, Policy Advisor, Lindsay Cooper: Lindsay.cooper@la.gov
  • Restore the Mississippi River Delta contact, Environmental Defense Fund, Scientist and Manager, Coastal Projects and Programs, Coastal Resilience, Devyani Kar: dkar@edf.org

Resources and Presentations

Climate Change and Implications for the Gulf Coast Region 

Structure, Process, and Next Steps 

Utilizing Structured Decision-Making to Support the Climate Initiatives Task Force 

You can sign up for updates from the Climate Initiative Task Force here.