FY2027 budget includes fully funded Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Amendment Act to determine costs of climate disasters to D.C. taxpayers as basis for holding major polluters accountable

WASHINGTON, DC — The D.C. Council advanced a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget yesterday that fully funds the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Amendment Act of 2026, a key step toward holding major polluters accountable for the District’s surging climate-related costs. The study will examine the sources and impacts of greenhouse gas emissions in the District and lay the groundwork for policies that shift the financial burden of climate damage from taxpayers to polluters. The legislation is expected to pass, alongside the final budget, later this month. 

This milestone follows the leadership of Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who introduced the legislation in January. During committee markup, she secured the transfer of the required $200,000 in funding to the Committee on Transportation and Environment to ensure the study can move forward.

“Today’s budget vote marks a decisive step toward holding polluters accountable and addressing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the District,” said Councilmember Janeese Lewis George. “Intensifying extreme weather is already reshaping life in DC — from flooding and extreme heat to increasing strain on our buildings, infrastructure, and public services. I’m grateful this budget will arm the District with the tools to plan for our future with clarity, foresight, and confidence.”

“Completing this study is the first step to a new era in the District’s response to the climate crisis – one where polluters must pay for the costs already piling up for Washingtonians,” said Claire Mills, D.C. Campaigns Manager, CCAN Action Fund. “The results will help us build the ambition we need to truly protect our city from the flooding, heat, and extreme weather that are already changing the very fabric of our home. We are grateful to Councilmember Lewis George for her leadership in kickstarting a people-first approach to the climate crisis in D.C.” 

The need for this study comes as D.C. residents are already paying the price of worsening extreme weather. Earlier this year, the District spent $67 million to clean up Winter Storm Fern snowcrete, with the Department of Public Works exceeding its fiscal year budget by sevenfold. Public schools across the city also require urgent HVAC upgrades, including many that had to close during May’s heatwave. By quantifying climate impacts, the study is intended to support more strategic budgeting and strengthen the District’s ability to prepare for extreme weather.

“From taxpayer-funded efforts to clean up after increasingly worsening extreme weather events to personal costs like spiking flood insurance rates, rising health care costs, and skyrocketing energy bills, District residents are bearing the costs of adapting to a climate that fossil fuel companies knowingly destabilized,” said Sami Wines of the Sierra Club D.C. Chapter. “Completing this study is a necessary step towards ensuring that the polluters who are costing us our climate and our health are finally held accountable — and can help relieve the suffering they’ve caused District residents.“

The proposed budget also takes steps to fill gaps in Mayor Bowser’s original proposal by including $20 million for home upgrades and green infrastructure projects by D.C.’s Sustainable Energy Utility. However, advocates note that this investment represents only a fraction of the funding diverted from the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund, leaving programs that specifically support low and moderate-income families underfunded. The D.C Council is scheduled to take a final vote on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget on June 23, with the study expected to start in October. 

“Year after year, we are forced to fight for money in D.C.’s budget to fund our most basic needs, including housing, healthcare, and protection from climate change consequences like extreme heat,” said Cate Henning from Sunrise Movement. “Make Polluters Pay is an answer to the question we’re often asked: Where will the money come from? And this study bill is a key first step in understanding which polluters will pay and where the money must go to bring about environmental justice in D.C.”

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund is dedicated to driving change in public policies at the local, state and national level to address the climate crisis. Through voter education, lobbying, and participation in the electoral process, we seek to advance our country’s leadership in the global movement towards clean energy solutions — focusing our efforts primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. We know that a vibrant democracy is central to our success so we work to defend democratic integrity wherever we can.