Giving states the tools to decide for themselves how to combat climate change is the right approach

The impacts of climate change are being felt across the country, but not everywhere in the same way. Tennessee is experiencing more frequent heavy, sudden rains and flooding. Throughout the summer, heavy rains have triggered flash floods in parts of the state, and the remnants of Storm Francine prompted the most recent flood warning in early September. Across the West, there is not enough rain and people are facing wildfires and drought. In August, with over a month of fire season still to go, wildfires in the state of Oregon have already burned more land than in all of 2023.

Just as the impacts of climate change vary from state to state and community to community, the best approaches to managing these extreme weather events also vary. That's why we can't use a one-size-fits-all approach. In my twelve years as a member of the U.S. Senate, I've found that what works in one state often doesn't work in another. Moreover, not all states have the same resources available. This is where the federal government comes in, playing a critical role in providing the funding states need to address the urgency of crisis events—including the climate crisis we face today. In fact, Congress has already made a major effort by passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Together, these two pieces of legislation will invest a historic $570 billion over the next decade in climate and conservation projects at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

The money from these groundbreaking laws is already beginning to transform our landscapes, energy systems, economies, and communities. One of the Environmental Protection Agency's largest IRA programs is the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. The CPRG program provides states with the funds needed to develop and implement their own plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

The CPRG program is a remarkable example of how large federal investments in climate action can provide significant funding to states while giving them the flexibility to pursue solutions that meet their own specific needs. These types of partnerships between the federal government and state, local, and tribal governments are critical because they allow us to test new climate solutions that can then be scaled or adopted by others. Collaboration and partnership are key to success. And at the state and local level, we can move faster than the federal government, allowing us to responsibly advance smart climate action across the country.

States used the first round of CPRG funding to develop their own climate action plans. In many states, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) helped develop these plans, with conservation and community concerns and needs at the forefront. As chair of The Nature Conservancy's Global Board, I am especially proud of TNC's collaboration with Tennessee, which developed its first climate action plan using CPRG funding. Tennessee's plan set goals to protect forests so they can continue to absorb and store carbon dioxide, expand solar energy, and improve community access to electric vehicle charging stations. These are all investments that make sense for Tennesseans and for the future of our state.

Then, in July of this year, the federal government announced the second and latest round of grants to fund projects identified in states' climate action plans. In total, the government provided about $4.3 billion to states to reduce emissions and support communities.

I am pleased that TNC's work in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia will be supported with $200 million from these grants through a coalition with state governments. The projects in these states focus on natural climate solutions that have great potential to reduce greenhouse gases, including improved forest management, peatland restoration and tidal wetland enhancements.

Across the country, this second round of CPRG awards covers a wide range of government solutions, including investments in energy efficiency measures for buildings, electrification of transportation, and climate-smart agriculture. Many of the solutions supported by CPRG are nature-based solutions that harness the power of the natural environment to adapt to and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. For example, this could include investing in reforestation to store more carbon or restoring oyster reefs so they can act as breakwaters or improve water quality.

These types of natural Solutions were not a topic in mainstream discussions about conservation and climate policy before the last decade. The Nature Conservancy has wisely made significant investments in demonstrating the science behind natural and nature-based climate solutions, laying the foundation for the policies, grants, and projects we see successfully implemented across the country today.

The CPRG program and programs like it are helping states jumpstart climate plans and projects in nuanced and innovative ways. States know best what they need, and through these programs, the federal government is supporting their right to choose how to address extreme weather events and climate change. By fostering this important partnership between the federal government, states, local and tribal governments, we are ensuring that climate solutions deliver the greatest benefit to our communities, lands and wildlife across the country.