New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers' Annual Conference

The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers' Annual Conference (French: Conférence annuelle des gouverneurs de la Nouvelle-Angleterre et des premiers ministres de l'Est du Canada) is an annual international meeting of the American governors of the six New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont as well as the Canadian premiers of five province of Eastern Canada, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. According to the Council of Atlantic Premiers, the meeting is meant to "advance the interests" of the states and provinces as well as to encourage "cooperation" built on the "historic ties" between them^[1]. The first conference was held in 1973. In 2014, the 38th annual conference was held at Bretton Woods in northern New Hampshire.^[2]

Member states and provinces

Climate Change Initiative

The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) Climate Change Action Plan 2001 is a resolution adopted on August 28, 2001, by the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers. The resolution calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, at least 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, 35-45% below 1990 levels by 2030, and a 75-85% reduction of 2001 levels by 2050.^[3][4]

The drafting of the action plan began when the NEG-ECP adopted the Resolution Concerning Global Warming and its Impacts on the Environment (Resolution 25–9) on July 16–18, 2000. It addresses that "global warming, given its harmful consequences to the environment and the economy, is a joint concern for which a regional approach to strategic action is required."^[5]

The Action Plan outlines nine major action items, designed to aid the participating states in meeting committed goals:

• Action Item 1: The Establishment of a Regional Standardized GHG Emissions Inventory
• Action Item 2: The Establishment of a Plan for Reducing GHG Emissions and Conserving Energy
• Action Item 3: The Promotion of Public Awareness
• Action Item 4: State and Provincial Governments to Lead by Example
• Action Item 5: The Reduction of Greenhouse Gases from the Electricity Sector
• Action Item 6: The Reduction of the Total Energy Demand Through Conservation
• Action Item 7: The Reduction and/or Adaptation of Negative Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Climate Change
• Action Item 8: A Decrease in the Transportation Sector's Growth in GHG Emissions
• Action Item 9: The Creation of a Regional Emissions Registry and the Exploration of a Trading Mechanism

Later developments

The New England states later began participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.

Canada's carbon tax has since been applied to all Canadian provinces and territories.

The province of Nova Scotia met the 2020 objective six years in advance.

See also

• Atlantic Northeast