HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is stepping up the fight against climate change and setting targets to slash Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades.
Wolf, a Democrat, said Tuesday that he’s issuing an executive order that commits his administration to meeting certain targets. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says 20 states already set targets, but Pennsylvania is among the nation’s biggest polluters.
Making major progress will likely require agreements with lawmakers.
Wolf wants to reduce emissions by 26 percent by 2025, based on 2005 levels, and by 80 percent by 2050. That’s in line with 2015’s Paris climate agreement.
Meeting 2025’s goal is within reach, since federal data shows Pennsylvania’s carbon dioxide emissions shrank more than 20 percent between 2005 and 2016. Wolf says Pennsylvania’s about halfway to the 2025 goal.
