New Florida Law Bans Local Net-Zero Emissions Policies
(Tuesday June 30, 2026 @11:30PM (BeauHD)
from the cease-and-desist dept.)
- Reference: 0184221210
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/06/30/2157253/new-florida-law-bans-local-net-zero-emissions-policies
- Source link:
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Inside Climate News:
> A [1]new state law limits Florida communities' aims to offset greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the global climate and intensifying disasters such as hurricanes. Specifically, HB 1217 [2]prohibits local governments from pursuing net-zero emissions goals . At least 10 cities and counties have implemented such policies, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Leon County, where Tallahassee, the state capital, is located. But the new law will not necessarily upend these policies, said Bradley Marshall, senior attorney at Earthjustice, an advocacy group. "It's certainly meant to scare municipalities and local governments from trying to do things to further net-zero policies," he said. "Now, its exact impact and what it exactly prohibits is probably up for some debate. Things that are adjacent to it -- emissions reductions and even climate change reduction policies -- on their face will not run afoul at all of a ban on adopting a net zero policy."
>
> The measure requires local governments to submit an affidavit annually to the state Department of Revenue verifying compliance. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the measure on April 22, Earth Day, and the law will take effect July 1. It states that "net zero policies, carbon taxes and assessments, and emission trading programs are detrimental to this state's energy security and economic interests and inconsistent with the energy policy and the environmental policy of this state." [...] HB 1217 also prevents local governments from purchasing items such as vehicles or appliances based on the fuels they use or production of the items. Local governments may not participate in carbon-trading programs or use public funds to support other organizations with net-zero policies. Cities and counties also may not charge a tax or fee tied with carbon emissions.
"This bill is definitely part of a larger coordinated push by the political enablers of the fossil fuel industry to obstruct any tools -- legal or legislative tools -- to hold the industry accountable for its contributions to climate change," said Laura Peterson, senior analyst at the Union for Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group. "Florida is really on the front lines. So I imagine the governor is taking this step because he sees what's coming down the pike. It's not getting better. So I can only assume that this is an effort to satisfy some of the pressures that he's getting from donors and from his party to protect the industry. And he's doing it at the expense of his constituents."
[1] https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1217
[2] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30062026/florida-law-bans-net-zero-emission-policies/
> A [1]new state law limits Florida communities' aims to offset greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the global climate and intensifying disasters such as hurricanes. Specifically, HB 1217 [2]prohibits local governments from pursuing net-zero emissions goals . At least 10 cities and counties have implemented such policies, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Leon County, where Tallahassee, the state capital, is located. But the new law will not necessarily upend these policies, said Bradley Marshall, senior attorney at Earthjustice, an advocacy group. "It's certainly meant to scare municipalities and local governments from trying to do things to further net-zero policies," he said. "Now, its exact impact and what it exactly prohibits is probably up for some debate. Things that are adjacent to it -- emissions reductions and even climate change reduction policies -- on their face will not run afoul at all of a ban on adopting a net zero policy."
>
> The measure requires local governments to submit an affidavit annually to the state Department of Revenue verifying compliance. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the measure on April 22, Earth Day, and the law will take effect July 1. It states that "net zero policies, carbon taxes and assessments, and emission trading programs are detrimental to this state's energy security and economic interests and inconsistent with the energy policy and the environmental policy of this state." [...] HB 1217 also prevents local governments from purchasing items such as vehicles or appliances based on the fuels they use or production of the items. Local governments may not participate in carbon-trading programs or use public funds to support other organizations with net-zero policies. Cities and counties also may not charge a tax or fee tied with carbon emissions.
"This bill is definitely part of a larger coordinated push by the political enablers of the fossil fuel industry to obstruct any tools -- legal or legislative tools -- to hold the industry accountable for its contributions to climate change," said Laura Peterson, senior analyst at the Union for Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group. "Florida is really on the front lines. So I imagine the governor is taking this step because he sees what's coming down the pike. It's not getting better. So I can only assume that this is an effort to satisfy some of the pressures that he's getting from donors and from his party to protect the industry. And he's doing it at the expense of his constituents."
[1] https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1217
[2] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30062026/florida-law-bans-net-zero-emission-policies/
Global Warming is Hitting Florida Hard (Score:3)
by Ksevio ( 865461 )
Florida already has major problems with hurricanes and sea levels rising is devastating for a state that's mostly flat with swamps.
They can stick their heads in the sand about it or they can work to slow the problem, but the anti-science government doesn't seem to care.
I'm OK with stupid (Score:3)
by Baron_Yam ( 643147 )
I'm OK with stupid when it is self-defeating and self-harming.
I'm not OK with stupid when it tries to force the rest of us to come along for the ride.
Re: (Score:2)
"Net zero" basically boils down to "use electrical appliances instead of natural gas because it's way easier to generate electricity cleanly than it is to produce gas cleanly, and build efficiently so you need less energy overall."
Those are not bad goals to have, and we should be moving away from natural gas in homes in general. Combustion products suck for our health, even natural gas ones, and the global warming potential of methane is insanely high and having leaks on residential delivery hurts.
If the ar