NEWS

Governor Mills Calls Special Climate Council Meeting to Discuss Impacts of Recent Storms, Highlighting Urgency of Climate Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2024

CONTACT: Meghan Hurley, Communications Manager, meghan@maineconservation.org, (603) 707-9318 (cell)

Governor Mills Calls Special Climate Council Meeting to Discuss Impacts of Recent Storms, Highlighting Urgency of Climate Action

AUGUSTA, ME – Today, Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Climate Council are holding a special meeting at the University of Maine at Augusta from 2-4:30 PM to discuss recent storms and long-term strategies to improve resilience to extreme weather.

Extreme storms have recently caused severe damage across the state and are evidence of intensifying climate change. The Climate Council is currently working to update its four year climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, which began in 2020. Strengthening Maine’s resilience to extreme storms is a priority for the Climate Council, and this special meeting highlights the urgency of addressing flooding and storm damage.

Statement of Kathleen Meil, Senior Director of Policy & Partnerships, MCV and Co-Chair of the Buildings, Infrastructure, and Housing Working Group of the Maine Climate Council:

The devastation brought on by recent storms demonstrated that no communities are immune to the impacts of climate change. This special meeting highlights the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to act at the scale and pace that science and justice demand. Listening, learning, and collaborating across differences is essential to building a climate-resilient future and an equitable clean energy economy for Maine.

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