Maryland’s governor touted his state’s efforts to combat climate change, and called on the issue to become a bipartisan challenge taken up by leaders around the world in a speech Thursday at the Climate Leadership Conference in Baltimore.
Gov. Larry Hogan began his 10-minute speech by saying the debate about climate change is a “conversation that is needed, I believe, now more than ever.”
He talked up laws passed during his time in office, including one in 2016 that he said is “stronger than 48 other states’ and nearly twice as strong as the Paris Accord recommendations.”
“While Washington, in my opinion, has continued to fail on these issues, Maryland has continued to lead,” said Hogan. “We are working in a bipartisan manner at the state level to ensure that America continues to contribute to the global effort of addressing climate change.”
The governor closed his speech by noting that the state’s citizens and coastal areas are being threatened by climate change, and that “common-sense pragmatism” is needed in D.C. and around the world to tackle the problem.
“We need leaders on both sides of the aisle,” said Hogan, “both here at home and abroad, who are willing to work together in order to meet these very important challenges head-on.”
