Why Climate Action and Sustainability Will Continue
The Power of “Sustainability Smarts”
While The Ashkin Group has advocated using environmentally preferable cleaning solutions and practices for over 25 years and is today the professional cleaning industry’s leading voice regarding sustainability, in all that time, we have always been a non-political organization.
We deal with situations as they are and have faced many strong headwinds over the years.
With the changes in our federal government beginning in 2025, we anticipate potential challenges such as policy shifts and regulatory changes that could impact climate action and sustainability. However, while the momentum may slow, it will not stop. Below, we discuss why.
Blue State/Red State Benefits
It may come as a surprise, but Georgia is now the number one state for clean energy investments. The state’s Republican governor is actively courting investments, recognizing the economic boom that clean energy initiatives bring.
This bipartisan approach is not unique to Georgia. According to an August 2024 report by E2, a national, nonpartisan group, the Inflation Reduction Act has created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in 215 Republican districts, compared to just 119 in Democratic districts. In fact, roughly 80 percent of the money spent so far has flowed to Republican congressional districts, where lawmakers and business leaders want to protect that investment and the jobs they bring.
The growing bipartisan support for clean energy investments is a beacon of hope. It signals that our collective efforts to protect our planet and promote sustainability will not be in vain.
Bipartisan Support
Before the election, bills sponsored by congressional members Collins (R-ME), Cantwell (D-WA), Cassidy (R-LA), King (I-ME), Coons (D-DE) Sinema (I-AZ), Murkowski (R-AK), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Capito (R-WV) are advocating for the adoption of laws that would promote investments in clean energy and carbon management technologies.
This bipartisan support also includes many industry leaders, climate advocates, states, and communities because, once again, the bills create new jobs, benefiting the American economy, American workers, and the environment.
The Clean Energy Investment Train Doesn’t Stop
Since 2014, every state and multiple industries have been investing in clean energy technologies. Statista reports that investment in renewable energy worldwide went from $263 billion in 2014, to more than $600 billion in 2023. These states and organizations will likely not want to walk away from their investments.
These investments include the following:
• Public and private investment in clean energy technologies like solar, wind, zero-emission vehicles, and heat pumps has never been higher.
• States from California to the Upper Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and New England are investing in zero-emission vehicles.
• Significant investments have been made in turbines to capture wind power in the Northern Rockies and Plains states, such as Kansas and Oklahoma.
• Heat pump investment across much of the Southeast, where this technology is becoming popular for heating and cooling homes and businesses.
• A bipartisan mixture of California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina have seen the highest overall levels of clean energy investment since 2018.
The Race to the Finish Line
The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law has helped many organizations develop clean energy technologies through direct investments and clean energy credits. However, as of October 2024, about 180 billion dollars in grants and spending on energy and climate programs has remained untouched. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is rushing to distribute those funds – wisely - and states, local agencies, and businesses are lining up to get those funds. For example, according to the New York Times, recently:
• Utah won $75 million for a plan to deploy electric vehicles in low-income areas and reduce methane leaks.
• Pennsylvania won $396 million to cut pollution from steel mills and other industrial facilities.
• The Denver Regional Council of Governments finalized its $200 million award from the agency to help cut emissions from buildings by switching from gas to electricity.
• $6 billion is allocated to heavy industries to install new technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
• Food manufacturer Kraft Heinz will get up to $170.9 million to install electric boilers and heat pumps at 10 of its facilities nationwide. Large amounts of this heat will be used to dry Kraft food items without directly burning fossil fuels.
The reality is that the movement towards renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and operating businesses more sustainably, efficiently, and cost-effectively is a journey that continues to move forward. We have faced strong headwinds before. But, as in the past, we will overcome them with time, persistence, and a strong dose of “sustainability smarts.”
-Steve
Sources (all recently published):
Clean Economy Works | IRA Two-Year Review