More than five years after Vermont lawmakers adopted legally binding climate targets, the state’s Climate Council is still refining how it plans to meet them.

At two public meetings (1/6/2026, 1/12/2025)held a week apart, council members and staff from the Climate Action Office walked through Vermont’s updated Climate Action Plan, introduced a list of “Top 10 Priority Actions,” and discussed next steps — even as the state has already missed its first statutory emissions benchmark and faces mounting costs to reach the next.

The meetings, including one held this week, were framed as an opportunity for the public to “meet” the 2025 Climate Action Plan. But the discussion itself suggested a process still in transition from planning to execution, years after the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) took effect.

Adopted in 2020, the GWSA committed Vermont to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, and 40 percent by 2030. Those targets were made legally binding, enforceable through citizen lawsuits if the state failed to meet them.

According to state reporting, Vermont has “almost certainly” missed the 2025 target. Officials have also acknowledged the state is increasingly likely to miss the 2030 target without significant changes.

A Plan Still Being Prioritized

Council members described the updated Climate Action Plan as a framework containing more than 200 recommended actions across sectors such as transportation, buildings, agriculture, and land use. They said feedback from the public and lawmakers made clear the plan was too broad, prompting the council to narrow its focus.

That process resulted in a newly identified list of 10 priority actions, which council members said represent what needs to be accomplished “now.”

Among those priorities are expanded weatherization programs, flood resilience funding, support for compact development, investments in farms and forests, and workforce development for electrification and construction trades.

The prioritization effort, council members said, is meant to provide clarity after years of expansive planning. But the timing stood out. Five years after the law’s passage — and after hundreds of millions of dollars have already been spent on climate-related programs — the council is still determining which actions matter most.

“Not a State Climate Action Plan”

During the meetings, officials repeatedly emphasized that the Climate Action Plan is not a traditional state implementation plan.

“It’s not a state climate action plan,” one official explained, noting that it was written by the Vermont Climate Council as an independent body, even though it incorporates input from state agencies.

Instead, the plan was described as a set of recommendations required by statute — a “starter” meant to guide future work by legislators, agencies, municipalities, businesses, and residents.

The Climate Action Office, which operates within the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and costs roughly $1 million per year, characterized its role as supportive. Staff described their responsibilities as coordinating across agencies, tracking progress, maintaining emissions inventories, and helping “keep the ship moving forward.”

What they did not describe was a centralized authority responsible for delivering emissions reductions on a fixed schedule.

Funding Questions Loom

Council members also acknowledged that federal funding — which has helped underwrite many climate and resilience programs — is shrinking. Several speakers warned of a looming funding cliff as temporary federal dollars expire.

To address that gap, the council discussed future revenue mechanisms, including a potential cap-and-invest program that would require fossil fuel suppliers to purchase emissions allowances. Proceeds would be used to fund climate programs.

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However, officials were clear that such a system would take years to design and implement. In the near term, they said, the state is focused on preliminary steps such as greenhouse gas reporting requirements for fuel importers.

No estimates were presented during the meetings for how much revenue a cap-and-invest system might generate, or how much of its cost would be passed on to consumers.

Deadlines vs. Timelines

Throughout the meetings, council members spoke frequently about urgency — but almost always paired that language with reminders that progress takes time.

They described climate action as a long-term effort requiring patience, coordination, and sustained investment. Major initiatives, including workforce development, grid upgrades, and new regulatory programs, were framed as multi-year or even multi-decade projects.

The statutory deadlines, however, remain fixed.

The 2025 target has passed. The 2030 target is less than four years away.

Yet no presenter outlined a back-scheduled execution plan showing how Vermont would close the emissions gap within that timeframe. Nor did officials describe consequences within state government if targets continue to be missed.

A Gap Between Law and Execution

The meetings highlighted a growing disconnect between Vermont’s legally binding climate commitments and the state’s implementation posture.

The legislature adopted emissions targets before a prioritized, costed, and accountable delivery plan was in place. Since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent across agencies and programs, while emissions reductions have lagged behind statutory requirements.

Now, five years later, the Climate Council is still narrowing its focus, emphasizing coordination and future planning as the next deadline approaches.

For Vermonters, the question raised by the meetings was not whether climate change is real or whether action is needed. It was whether the structure created to meet the state’s climate obligations is capable of delivering results on the timeline the law requires.

As council members closed the sessions, they expressed hope that the updated plan and priority actions would help Vermont make progress in the coming years.

Whether that progress will be enough — or fast enough — remains unresolved.

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Dave Soulia | FYIVT

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