Vermont conservation groups present 2025 Common Environmental Agenda; urge focus on implementation, resilience and tools for transportation and heating decarbon

Representatives of Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) and the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) presented the 2025 Common Environmental Agenda to the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on April 1, asking lawmakers to prioritize implementation of recent climate and environmental laws and to develop policy tools for decarbonizing the transportation and heating sectors.

Dan Fingus, executive director of Vermont Conservation Voters, and Lauren Hurrell, executive director of the VNRC, summarized the agenda and the coalition of 19 organizations that signed on. “Since 1982, our mission has been to defend and strengthen the laws that safeguard our environment,” Fingus said, describing VCV’s goal of advancing policies that protect air, water, land and public health.

Presenters highlighted four broad priorities: (1) implement and fund the recent suite of climate and resilience laws, including flood‑safety measures and land conservation goals; (2) advance smart‑growth housing and fully fund the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and regional planning commissions so communities can meet new planning and zoning requirements; (3) continue work to reduce toxic chemical exposure — including recent PFAS measures and ongoing bottle‑bill modernization — and (4) accelerate clean transportation, expand access to heat‑pump and other low‑carbon heating options, and reauthorize programs that increase Vermonters’ access to in‑state renewable energy.

Joey (Johanna) Miller of VNRC, who leads the council’s energy and climate program and serves on the Vermont Climate Council, told lawmakers the state has “a long track record” of planning. But she warned implementation gaps remain. “We fundamentally lack the core tools to do that. So we lack and need a primary policy or regulatory approach in both the thermal and transportation sectors,” Miller said, urging lawmakers to consider durable funding and policy mechanisms rather than another new plan.

Committee members asked presenters for specific areas to prioritize. Hurrell urged continued funding and planning for flood resilience (including wetlands and dam management), cited the state’s 30x30 land conservation goals, and called for sustained support for downtown and village center tax credits and the land access and opportunity board to enable infill and mixed‑use housing in walkable centers.

On toxic chemicals, presenters pointed to recent legislative work tightening PFAS restrictions and urged effective implementation. They also said the bottle‑bill modernization conversation should advance this year to improve redemption access and, over time, expand covered beverage categories.

Presenters were skeptical about relying on new nuclear technology to meet Vermont’s clean energy goals. Fingus and Hurrell said they do not view nuclear as a practical path for in‑state job creation or renewable development at present, citing waste‑management concerns and cost uncertainty for large new plants. The committee and presenters agreed the short‑term focus should remain on proven measures such as solar, efficiency, and storage while continuing to monitor longer‑term technologies.

The presenters asked the committee to: ensure implementation and funding for existing laws (flood safety, housing reform, PFAS restrictions), support policy tools for the transportation and thermal sectors that can be designed equitably, and fund the regional partners (regional planning commissions, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and community action agencies) that deliver programs locally.

No formal votes were taken; the presentation concluded with committee members identifying follow‑up witnesses they want to hear from, including climate‑policy staff, local energy committees, and regional planners.