The Oct. 29 order affirms North Carolina’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, calls for an increase in registered zero-emission vehicles to at least 80,000 and aims for 40 percent reduction in energy consumption in state-owned buildings. 

The document is four pages long and directs a number of actions:

• The N.C. Climate Change Interagency Council, which will include a representative from every state cabinet agency, will form. 
• The N. C. Department of Environmental Quality will develop an N.C. Clean Energy Plan to encourage the use of clean energy, including wind, solar, energy efficiency and energy storage. 
• The N.C. Department of Transportation will develop a plan to accelerate the use of zero-emission vehicles across state government. Cabinet agencies will prioritize the use of such vehicles for trips. 
• DEQ will help cabinet agencies improve their energy efficiency and publicly report utility consumption. 
• The N.C. Department of Commerce will support the expansion of clean energy businesses and service providers, clean technology investment and companies with a commitment to procuring renewable energy. 
• All cabinet agencies will integrate climate mitigation and resiliency planning into their policies, programs and operations.

The full executive order is online at https://bit.ly/2qhDIxt.