Massachusetts governor Baker orders new rules to reduce greenhouse emissions

Governor Charlie Baker signed an executive order directing state officials to develop regulations for specific, annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by next summer.  The order comes on the heels of a court ruling that the state has not done enough to meet its obligations under the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires Massachusetts to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Baker also directed officials, in the order, to develop a statewide plan for “adaptation and resiliency” in the face of expected sea level rise and anticipated growth in wildfires and extreme weather events.