Consequence Analysis of a Hypothetical Portfolio of Climate Strategies

The Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force (Task Force) was established by Governor John Bel Edwards in August 2020 through Executive Order JBE 2020-18, which committed the state to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero GHG emissions by 2050. The EO sets intermediate goals of reducing GHG emissions by 26-28 percent of 2005 levels by 2025 and by 40-50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, and it also seeks to achieve these goals while improving the health and welfare of the people of Louisiana and advancing Louisiana’s economic and energy profile. To better understand the magnitude of Louisiana’s emissions challenge and to develop the actions and strategies needed to meet the goals of the EO, this effort engaged more than 135 multidisciplinary experts from the Task Force and its Advisory Groups (AGs) and Sector Committees (SCs;Figure 1). Many Task Force members also serve on AGs and SCs. The AGs specialize in four topics critical to the effort: Equity, Science, Finance, and Legal. The six SCs are comprised of individuals representing: Agriculture, Forestry, Conservation, and Waste Management; Land Use, Buildings, and Housing; Power Production, Distribution, and Use; Mining and Oil and Gas Production; Transportation; and Manufacturing and Industry.

Two consequence analyses were conducted to investigate the impacts of climate action in Louisiana on the state’s GHG emissions and on the state’s people, economy, and environment. This Technical Memorandum details the results of the first of these analyses, which evaluated the likely outcomes of “hypothetical strategy portfolios,” (hypothetical combinations of GHG reduction strategies; hereafter “portfolios” or “hypothetical portfolios”) aimed to reduce net GHG emissions for the state of Louisiana, and the impacts of those portfolios on a set of
“Fundamental Objectives” (FOs; Table 1). FOs were developed by the Task Force to refine and improve the strategies and actions that would eventually comprise the Louisiana Climate Action Plan (2022).