Table of Contents
We’ve combined science and advocacy for more than fifty years. The results speak for themselves.
Assembled below is a list of recent UCS-driven wins and major milestones, chronicling the many ways we act at the intersection of science and policy. Each success is made possible through the power of our staff, Science Network, activists, and committed members.
Recent wins
Jennie Richards/Pexels
First-of-its-Kind California Law Will Strengthen Electric Grid
UCS advocacy helped pass a bill that empowers CA to require bidirectional charging in new electric vehicles, a technology that enables EVs to export their power—so in emergencies, appliances, homes, and even the grid can be powered by EVs.
Clean Energy and Environmental Justice Win in Massachusetts
A new MA law—informed by UCS analysis and advocacy, including a coalition of environmental justice groups that has convened for years—will speed the local transition to clean energy, and address the unfair burdens of polluting energy infrastructure.
tagu/Shutterstock
New Federal Rules to Modernize US Power Grid Cite UCS
Citing UCS research 33 times in their final rule, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved guidelines to improve outdated electricity grids, allowing for more renewable energy and requiring grid operators to plan for climate change.
Major accomplishments
Joanne Francis/Unsplash
UCS Research Points Finger at Big Oil for Western Wildfires
UCS peer-reviewed science shows that more than one-third of the total area scorched by forest fires in the western United States and southwestern Canada since 1986 can be directly attributed to emissions from specific fossil fuel companies.
Sierra Club North Star Chapter
UCS and Partners Move Toward Environmental Justice in Minnesota
Working with a coalition, UCS helped press Minnesota to enact novel legislation that will allow state regulators to protect communities exposed to multiple pollutants, by limiting or denying environmental permits to polluting projects.
USDA/Flickr
Decades of UCS Work Reflected in White House Guidance
The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a landmark framework for scientific integrity that will protect federal science from undue political interference—guidance that reflects decades of UCS research and advocacy.
Wade Austin Ellis/Unsplash
UCS Successfully Advocates for US Loss and Damage Financing
At COP27 this year, countries agreed for the first time to finance a fund compensating vulnerable nations for climate-related loss and damage—a measure UCS advocated for via a joint letter from 143 organizations, and 10,000+ emails from UCS supporters.
NREL
UCS Research, Advocacy Inform Game-Changing US Climate Law
After decades of advocacy for a national plan to address climate change, UCS-backed legislation that invests billions to reduce global warming emissions is now law. This opportunity is a stepping stone to more progress for a climate-safe future for all.
Denys Nevozhai/Unsplash
CA Vehicle Standards Go Further to Reduce Pollution, Fight Climate Change
California adopted a new set of standards requiring automakers to sell more zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV), including a target of 100% ZEV by 2035. UCS analysis and advocacy helped strengthen these pollution-reducing standards from less ambitious targets.
hector espinoza/Unsplash
Years of UCS Advocacy Pay Off with Historic MA Climate Bill
A robust climate bill is now law in Massachusetts, after a lengthy UCS campaign that showed its benefits for people and the economy. The law will help reduce emissions from power plants and vehicles, improving public health.
tlindenbaum/Flickr
Helped Pass Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in Illinois
The new law—which UCS tirelessly advocated for with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition—sets a goal of 100% clean energy, while prioritizing environmental justice communities for pollution reductions.
Motortion Films/Shutterstock
Provided Expertise to Inform Landmark Court Ruling
A court in the Netherlands—which drew on UCS expertise—ordered Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its carbon emissions. This is the first time a company—much less a fossil fuel company—has been legally required to do so.
Elvert Barnes/Flickr
Ride-Hailing Will Go Electric in CA after UCS Advocacy
Responding to UCS analysis of ride-hailing's climate risks, California passed groundbreaking legislation that requires companies like Uber and Lyft to have 90% of miles traveled carbon-free by 2030. This will serve as a model for other states.
Feature
50 Years of Science and Action
Since our founding in 1969 we've helped address some of the world’s most pressing problems.