Editor’s note Sept. 11, 2020: A former version of this story stated an incorrect number of appointees to the Montana Climate Solutions Council and has since been corrected to 44 members.
After a year of discussion, a Montana advisory council Wednesday issued its final recommendations for ways the state can respond to climate change through statewide policy.
The Montana Climate Solutions Council’s plan includes 50 proposals aimed at helping Montanans prepare for climate change impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions ahead of anticipated harm to the economy, public health and environment.
The council’s goal is net-greenhouse gas neutrality for the electric power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Governor Steve Bullock established the Montana Climate Solutions Council in 2019 and appointed 44 people from across the state, including tribal members, renewable energy advocates and oil-and-gas industry stakeholders.
Bullock said at a press conference Wednesady the plan would spark dialogue and diverse opinions going forward, but added many proposals will also draw widespread agreement.
“The legislature can certainly focus on those points where there might be dissension or they can focus on all of those areas where there was consensus to be moving forward in our state," Bullock said.
The Montana Climate Solutions Council’s plan included 10 proposals that advanced with dissent from council members.
One of those was to explore national or regional carbon pricing, a mechanism the government uses to offset the negative effects of carbon emissions, like damage to crops or health care costs, by assigning fees or incentives for oil and gas producers.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Sen. Steve Daines, who said it would kill jobs in Montana. Daines, a Republican, is running against Bullock for U.S. Senate in the upcoming election.
Other proposals include suggestions for transitioning communities away from reliance on the oil and gas industry, increasing the energy efficiency of homes and vehicles and encouraging more renewable energy generation through policy change.
Ultimately, Bullock said implementation will be up to the state’s next governor and legislature, policy makers and other organizational partners.
