Historic climate legislation passes through WA legislature

With your help, WPSR and our coalition partners secured major victories on climate and environmental policies this legislative session. These wins were only possible because of years of hard work from people like you to push equitable action on climate change at all levels in our state. Thank you for your work to help make this happen! This was one of the most sweeping policy aggregates in recent memory in Washington.

To recap, here’s a quick snapshot of the progress we achieved together:

1. The strongest 100% renewable energy policy in the nation, phasing out coal by 2025 and eliminating fossil fuels from our electric sector by 2045. This historic bill will grow jobs in clean energy and provide energy assistance to help all Washingtonians reap the benefits of our transition to healthy sources of energy.

2. A clean buildings policy that will reduce carbon pollution and improve health. 20% of our carbon emissions come from the commercial sector, and this bill establishes critical energy efficiency standards.

3. Creation of a state task force to address environmental health disparities caused by pollution. Where you live shouldn’t determine your health, and this task force will begin crucial work to reduce pollution and existing health inequities.

4. A landmark oil spill prevention and safety bill. This victory adds a notch in our successful movement to improve safety in oil transported over water, halt dangerous new oil export facilities, and prevent the likelihood of catastrophic oil spill

WPSR advocates played an important role in these victories. From testifying and lobbying in Olympia, to convening unprecedented support from our state’s medical and healthcare community, to publishing letters in local newspapers and communicating with legislators, your support helped ensure that our elected officials knew that taking action on climate change is imperative for our health. Thank you.

While two of our priority bills, a clean fuel standard and the Healthy Environment for All Act, didn’t make it across the finish line this year, we look forward to continuing our advocacy on these important policies in the coming months.

What comes next?

WPSR’s Climate & Health Task Force is continually working towards climate justice. We’re excited to keep heath messages at the center of our movement to stop new mega fracked gas projects in Washington, and more collaboration with health and medical groups to address this moral issue of our time.

For now, we are deeply grateful for your support in this work, and thrilled that we’re ending this session with the most sweeping set of policies supporting a healthy climate in recent memory. Onwards!

Thanks for all you do,

Sarah Cornett

Climate Program Organizer, WPSR

Ken Lans, MD, MBA

Chair, Climate & Health Task Force

Past-President, WPSR