The director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing agency enforcement and compliance programs to address climate change “whenever appropriate, in every matter within their jurisdiction”.

Last Thursday, David M Uhlmann issued a memorandum entitled “EPA’s Climate Enforcement and Compliance Strategy,” which requires EPA’s enforcement and compliance program to:

• prioritize enforcement and compliance actions to mitigate climate change;
• include climate adaptation and resilience in case conclusions, when appropriate; and
• provide technical assistance to achieve climate-related solutions and build climate change capacity among EPA staff, plus state and local partners.

The requirements apply across all EPA enforcement and compliance activities, including criminal, civil, federal facilities, and cleanup enforcement.

The strategy builds on the announcement last month of EPA’s climate enforcement initiative, which targets methane emissions from oil and gas facilities and landfills as well as illegal importation of hydrofluorocarbons. The latest strategy announced goes further and requires EPA’s enforcement and compliance program to enforce the full array of EPA’s climate rules, including, but not limited to, greenhouse gas reporting requirements and limits on other climate pollutants, such as carbon dioxide.

Ring of Fire protests in Ontario

Leaders of several First Nations from the Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario demanded a meeting with Doug Ford (premier of Ontario and member of parliament) at the legislature on Tuesday, saying they needed to discuss concerns over possible mining in their territories – but the premier refused their request.

The indigenous First Nation communities of Canada have been protesting the Ontario government’s decision to allow mining in a mineral-rich region without proper consultation over environmental concerns and potential land encroachment by mining companies.

The Ring of Fire region is considered the next frontier in the exploration of critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, and nickel as Canada seeks to diminish its reliance on China for metals integral to the transition to building electric vehicles and generally moving to a greener economy.

Loan guarantee to virtual power plant

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced last Thursday the closing of a $3 billon partial loan guarantee to Sunnova Energy Corporation’s Project Hestia.

The Project will make distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar, battery storage, and virtual power plant (VPP)-ready, consumer-facing software, available to more American homeowners and create more than 3,400 American jobs, the DOE says. The project reinforces President Biden’s commitment to expanding access to affordable renewable energy across America and achieving a carbon-free grid by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

“We hope that by offering this tool in the public domain, we can support communities and organizations outside of the Bank to drive further inclusion in their online experiences.”

Rizwan Khalfan, Chief Digital and Payments Officer, TD Bank

This announcement is the single largest commitment ever made by the US government to solar power and DOE’s first loan guarantee for a VPP. The project flows from the White House’s Investing in America agenda, designed to accelerate adoption of technologies like solar and supporting innovative new climate solutions. 

Accessibility in banking – TD Bank

Last week, TD Bank Group announced the Canadian and American launch of its accessibility browser plug-in, TD Accessibility Adapter, to the public at no cost.

The tool enables users to personalize their online experience tied to individual accessibility preferences, includes accessibility features such as reading guides, adjustable font size, dark mode, a dyslexia-friendly font and monochrome mode. It is designed without using overlays and to co-exist with other assistive technologies, such as standalone screen magnification software.

“We hope that by offering this tool in the public domain, we can support communities and organizations outside of the Bank to drive further inclusion in their online experiences,” said Rizwan Khalfan, Chief Digital and Payments Officer, TD Bank Group.

The launch of the TD Accessibility Adapter comes just before National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed in October.