What are the policies?
- The cement industry in Maryland — the largest industrial emitter of greenhouse gases — has a voluntary goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Legislation was passed in 2023 to mitigate the environmental impacts of cement and concrete used in state-funded construction.
- The state is phasing out hydrofluorocarbons. They’re used in refrigeration, air conditioning, aerosols and foams. State regulations aim to cut hydrofluorocarbon emissions 25% by 2030.
- The state has rules to prevent methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure.
- Maryland has regulations to cut methane emissions from landfills. It’s also trying to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills, and a 2017 executive order outlines a waste management policy that focuses on reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
Who’s paying for it?
- The state’s concrete and cement procurement legislation (called Buy Clean Maryland) receives state funding.
- The Strategic Energy Investment Fund put $1.76 million toward energy efficiency grants for the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors in 2023.
What progress has been made so far?
- Under the Buy Clean Maryland Act, cement and concrete manufacturers had to submit reports to the state detailing the environmental impact of their products by the end of 2024. This legislation only applies to construction that receives state funding.
- The hydrofluorocarbon phaseout is on schedule, and state regulations on methane emissions and landfill emissions are in effect.
Sources for this Q&A: 5 Million Trees for Maryland; Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington; CalMatters; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; Dr. Donald Boesch (president emeritus of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science); Industry Dive; Inside Climate News; International Energy Agency; Maryland Department of Agriculture; Maryland Department of the Environment; Maryland Department of Legislative Services; Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Maryland Department of Planning; Maryland Department of Transportation; Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration; Maryland Energy Administration; Maryland General Assembly; Maryland Matters; Maryland Office of People’s Counsel; Maryland Public Service Commission; Maryland Register (Maryland Division of State Documents); Montgomery Community Media; NPR; Office of Gov. Wes Moore; Office of the Attorney General of California; Politico; Reuters; S&P Global; The Baltimore Sun; The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (rggi.org); The White House; U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center; U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration; U.S. Energy Information Administration; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth.