At the Capitol
The climate superfund bill
Minnesota's climate superfund bill would recover a share of the state's climate costs from the largest fossil fuel companies and put that money toward recovery and preparedness. Vermont and New York have passed similar laws, and more than a dozen other states have considered them.
How it works
Three steps from cost to preparedness.
- 1
Count the cost.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency calculates what climate impacts have cost Minnesota and will cost in the future, including public infrastructure, emergency response, public health, agriculture, flood preparedness and housing. The estimate is updated at least every four years.
- 2
Assign a fair share.
Large companies that extract or refine fossil fuels, have done business in Minnesota, and are responsible for at least one billion metric tons of emissions from 1995 to 2026 are assessed a share of those costs based on their share of emissions. A company responsible for 18% of covered emissions would owe 18% of the cost.
- 3
Invest in preparedness.
Payments go into a fund managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for disaster response and recovery and for adaptation projects such as flood mitigation, stormwater infrastructure and resilience centers.
What it means for local governments
Support for the work you already do.
Local governments plan, build, and maintain the infrastructure that takes the hit when disaster strikes, and as extreme weather intensifies, the costs to adapt and rebuild keep rising. The Climate Superfund would create a dedicated state fund, paid by the largest fossil fuel emitters, to help communities prepare and recover without shifting the bill to local taxpayers.