WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population — today welcomed the Biden-Harris Administration’s launch of the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership and committed resources to expand collaboration and advance states’ procurement and use of low-carbon construction materials.
“With this Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership, Alliance states are once again joining forces to move markets and build a cleaner, greener future across America,” said U.S. Climate Alliance Executive Director Casey Katims.
The 12 Alliance states that joined the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership today include: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington*. Together, these states have committed to prioritize efforts that support the procurement of lower-carbon infrastructure materials in state-funded projects, and to collaborate with the federal government, and one another, to send a harmonized demand signal to the marketplace. As part of this initiative, the Alliance will provide policy, technical, and analytical assistance to help participating members advance state-level Buy Clean efforts.
“As American workers put steel in the ground and pour the foundation for a new, clean energy economy, we have to make sure that future is built with low-carbon materials made in America,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “These states are showing true leadership on the climate crisis. By committing to Buy Clean, we can leverage the tremendous purchasing power of government so that American manufacturing competes and leads, creating good jobs, and revitalizing communities across the country.”
Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative and a White House convening with top officials from Alliance states last October to explore opportunities to partner on Buy Clean efforts.
To learn more about the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership, see the White House’s Fact Sheet.
*NOTE: Minnesota joined the Partnership in June 2023.
Launched in 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the U.S. federal government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28 percent by 2025, 50-52 percent by 2030, and 61-66 percent by 2035, all below 2005 levels, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to advance innovative and impactful climate solutions to grow the economy, create jobs, and protect public health, and have a long record of action and results. In fact, the latest data shows that as of 2023, the Alliance has reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent below 2005 levels, while increasing collective GDP by 34 percent, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal of reducing collective greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
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