While Gov. Ned Lamont earned a reputation for being a leader in the Covid crisis, it’s clear he’s ready to take on another threat: climate change.
Lamont has several key legislative proposals that call for reaching a zero-carbon electricity supply by 2040, reducing emissions, streamlining climate adaptations, and protecting vulnerable communities from energy shifts. He notched a small win recently when the Environment Committee passed his bill to formally adopt the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative Program, now sending the legislation to the state Senate for further action.
With the wind at his back (pun intended), Connecticut will be moving to a better and more sustainable future. We’re encouraged by this progress and proud that two MCG clients are doing their part in this effort, too.
Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association (CARA)
The Connecticut new vehicle dealerships represented by CARA strongly support promoting and enhancing the electric vehicle market in Connecticut. The industry has joined forces with many environmental advocates and the state of Connecticut to provide incentives to consumers to purchase electric vehicles (EVs).
CARA has also assisted the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in creating the CHEAPR program, which offers rebates for purchasing electric vehicles. There are currently more than 40 EVs on the market today, and many of these can be found at local dealerships in Connecticut.
Mattress Recycling Council
Mattress Recycling Council serves as a global example of environmental leadership. To date, its Bye Bye Mattress program has recycled more than 775,000 mattresses in Connecticut since the program began in 2015. That equates to more than 13,000 tons of material diverted from the state’s waste stream in just five years. To offer a visualization, if each unit was placed end to end, those mattresses would span 917 miles — enough to make over eight trips across Connecticut.
The environmental impact of this is tremendous. 50,000 mattresses a day are discarded in the U.S. More than 80 percent of a mattress can be recycled into new consumer and industrial products.
Reusing mattress materials saves valuable resources from entering the waste stream, such as foam, steel, wood, cotton and other fibers. Components from old mattresses can be turned into appliances, carpet padding, mulch, and more.
We’re all in this together (again)
Climate change poses one of the greatest and most daunting threats we face. It’s going to take a gallant effort from government, business, non-profit, and individuals to overcome it.
Like Covid, when it comes to addressing the climate crisis, we’re all in this together. The legislation being debated in Hartford and the initiatives being spearheaded by our clients are admirable. More importantly, though, they demonstrate that we can all become part of the solution.