Virginia and other states signed on to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) as a commitment to monitoring emissions in order to take action to reduce them.  When we know how much we are emitting, we can set goals and take steps to create meaningful change, and RGGI offers funding in order to do this.  These funds go to climate mitigation and resilience measures, employment, training, and renewable energy projects.  Meanwhile, reducing greenhouse gas emissions directly benefits public health: toxins in the air are directly linked to asthma and other chronic illness, so when we reduce our emissions, we reduce the incidence of illness, missed work, and missed school.

The people of Virginia overwhelmingly support this initiative to monitor and decrease our climate impact.  We all reap the benefits with improved health, fewer climate disasters, safer communities, affordable energy, and opportunities for meaningful employment.  Please continue Virginia's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.