These climate resolutions can actually make a difference for the climate in 2023

2022 sends a wake-up call about how much work remains to tackle the climate crisis. Floods in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Indonesia killed thousands, droughts affected millions in Somalia and China, and an unusually severe heat wave hit Europe and most of the US.

But we keep moving in the wrong direction. Global emissions from fossil fuel burning and coal use are at an all-time high, fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing geopolitical turmoil. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his year-end speech, the world’s shared goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is “suffocating.”

There is much more to be done in 2023, and the US has a special role to play. Historically the world’s biggest polluter, the US is finally ready for its biggest realignment on climate change. The country has the opportunity to reduce climate pollution and protect the population from the effects of extreme weather. And there are also steps people can take in their own lives and communities to make a difference.

Here are five things the US can do in 2023:

1) Eliminate methane emissions from the oil and gas sector

Next year has the chance to be a turning point in the second largest contributor to climate change, methane. Methane is responsible for only 30 percent of climate change, which is less than carbon dioxide, but it also holds more heat. Methane is also unique in that it is not only a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, but also is natural gas fuel. All these factors make methane an alarming climate problem, but one that can be solved in the short term.

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere reached a new peak in 2021, and is increasing faster than ever before. This is a problem that the US has little control over, as it is home to some of the world’s worst superemitters. The place to start is in oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin, the time bomb of methane emissions that are causing climate change.

The Biden administration has several different rules to pass next year that target this problem. Two of them come from the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management, aiming to reduce the waste of gas producers of oil and gas released or burned into the atmosphere. The EPA requires companies to regularly monitor pollution from oil and gas wells, as well as restrict companies from flaring off excess gas. And Bureau of Land Management rules specifically target public and tribal lands by setting monthly limits on burning off excess gas and having operators submit waste minimization plans with permit applications.

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Another major change is the Inflation Reduction Act’s methane cost. The fee doesn’t technically start until 2024, but next year will be key in determining its enforcement. The law charges oil and gas operators $900 per metric ton of methane released, and will scale to $1,500 by 2026.

None of these rules will be useful without proper oversight and enforcement. But next year will also finally be a game changer to deliver better real-time data on the worst pollution offenders. A fleet of satellites, managed by NASA and groups like Carbon Mapper and the Environmental Defense Fund, will be up and running to capture exactly where the methane is coming from. It will provide the world’s first check on whether companies, and governments, are actually meeting the promises they have made to tackle methane emissions.

2. Heat pumps, induction cookers, and electric vehicles with the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats in Congress this summer includes $369 billion to push American consumers and industry away from relying on fossil fuels. The utility payments in the law will ensure that renewable energy will be cheaper than building new coal and gas-fired power plants. And tax credits and rebates aim to help consumers make the leap to renewable and energy-efficient technologies. Some of these technologies are familiar, such as solar and roof insulation, but some will be newer to Americans, including heat pumps, induction stoves, and plug-in electric vehicles.

The law will help reduce the cost of the machine for some Americans by thousands of dollars. So next year, hopefully the same product will be mainstream. The mainstreaming of heat pumps and induction cookers will depend on the implementation of IRA incentives, along with successful marketing to consumers.

Under the Biden administration, the agency will be responsible for creating rules and guidance to oversee the billions of dollars available under the law. The White House also has a dedicated site for unpacking available consumer credits. But implementation will also depend on the state, which is responsible for distributing most legal programs. For example, the state will carry out legal investments to clean up abandoned oil wells and rebate programs, and other programs such as training contractors in the latest energy-saving technologies.

3. Take extreme heat as seriously as cold

We learned some important lessons about the power grid this year. After repeated close calls across the country this year at a time of high demand, California and Texas averted mass power outages only when consumers helped reduce the load on the grid, through small actions like changing the thermostat.

The event prevented a mass blackout during an unusual heat wave. If the power goes out, millions could be exposed to potentially dangerous temperatures. Everyone has a different tolerance for heat, and in heat waves, older people tend to be the most vulnerable before the thermostat hits triple digits.

But heat tends to be ignored in US policy responses, even as it becomes a bigger and easier disaster because of climate change. Historically, the US has been able to do better when it comes to helping people in winter. Most states have policies that prohibit power outages during winter freezes. Most states also require heating for multifamily homes. But the policy that regulates cooling in the summer is a patchwork that allows the most vulnerable to slip through the cracks. Federal buildings, homes, and prisons have standards for heat, but do not guarantee air conditioning. And very few states have any requirements that utilities must comply with during heat waves, according to data collected by Indiana University’s Energy Justice Laboratory and shared with Vox.

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The nation lacks an accurate picture of the lack of a coherent cooling strategy for the public. Some low-income consumers have to choose between turning on the air conditioner or buying food. For some, it means utilities have cut off their power for not paying bills, even in life-threatening heat.

There are reasonable policy measures that can prevent victims in heat waves. One is to protect people from sudden power outages due to unpaid bills. Another is to ensure the power grid is stable during heat waves so that the power does not go out, by investing in redundancy in the grid and investing in smart meters that communicate between the customer and the utility.

These are the small steps that eventually take the heat as much as the cold.

4. Deliver on global climate financing

The US still hasn’t met the original Paris climate agreement pledge of 2015 to send $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund. The fund is intended to help finance clean energy in developing countries, an admission from rich countries that are to blame for causing climate change. While Biden secured $1 billion from Congress this year, it’s unclear where the remaining $2 billion will come from, especially given Republican control of the House next year.

The US has other obligations on top of the Green Climate Fund. Biden also pledged $11 billion to developing countries. That’s on top of the White House’s announcement of joint energy partnerships with South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the EU. Some of this funding may come from the agency’s discretionary budget, but Biden will have to rely on Congress for the rest.

The US also has new climate commitments to meet. At the recent international climate conference in Egypt, the world is the first to recognize the loss and damage suffered by developing countries for the crisis they played a neglected role in creating.

The US has long been wary of agreeing to pay losses and damages, worried it would open a flood of lawsuits and claims against the biggest polluter in history, but agreed to a basic framework in Egypt. It is not yet clear what will translate into dollars.

5. Get personal and political

By 2023, Americans will have more personal control over the type of carbon footprint they have than ever before. They will be able to control the “mini fossil fuel factories” that people run at home every day for heating, cooking, and driving.

Incentives available under the Inflation Reduction Act will ultimately make electricity more financially affordable. There is money for rooftop solar; electric vehicles, clothes dryers, stoves, and ovens; heat pumps for heating, cooling, and hot water; electrical panel and wiring. The law also includes programs that cover the cost of insulation and weatherization to reduce the energy use of buildings.

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It is also important to get out of the mindset that the only impact you can have on climate change is in the way you use, eat, and live. There is more that can be done. Acting can mean thinking about your identity, your workplace, your networks, and your privileges, but also, more abstractly, knowing what kinds of actions lead to policy change. All of these will help you identify the right community to connect with. In other words: You can always do more by not acting alone.