Governor Mills Elected Co-Chair of U.S. Climate Alliance, Bipartisan Coalition of Governors Leading on Climate Action
The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors committed to fighting climate change, has elected Governor Janet Mills to serve as its Co-Chair.
Governor Mills and Washington Governor Jay Inslee were elected Co-Chairs by the Alliance’s members, who convened this week in Washington, D.C. for the coalition’s semiannual spring meeting. Governor Mills is the first governor from outside of a founding member state – which include California, New York, and Washington – to lead the Alliance.
The U.S. Climate Alliance is a coalition of governors committed to fighting climate change by reducing carbon emissions, advancing clean energy, and protecting people and the environment from the effects of the climate crisis. As Co-Chairs, Governor Mills and Governor Inslee will help direct the Alliance’s efforts on behalf of its member states and territories, which represent more than half of the U.S. population and 60 percent of the national economy.
They also join California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on the Alliance’s Executive Committee, which is charged with overseeing the strategic direction of the coalition. Members will serve in these roles until the Alliance’s semiannual meeting next spring.
The announcement comes as the Alliance continues to grow and diversify its membership. This year, the coalition has welcomed six new governors, including Governors Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Josh Green of Hawaiʻi, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who continued their states’ membership in the Alliance, and Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who made Guam the second U.S. territory to join the coalition.
Governor Mills also announced appointments to the Maine Climate Council, an assembly of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state officials, and citizens charged with developing and updating a comprehensive climate action plan for Maine.
Following an extensive public process, the Council delivered its first four-year plan to prepare for and mitigate effects of climate change on Maine, Maine Won’t Wait, to Governor Mills on December 1, 2020.
Later this year, the Council and its working groups will start work to update Maine Won’t Wait by December 1, 2024, as required by state law. This will be supported in part by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from the Inflation Reduction Act.