Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) advocates for legislation that will ensure Vermont offers a bright future for our children and grandchildren. Our vision for a bright future for Vermont includes working to advance and defend policies that protect the environment and promote health, while advancing civil rights, social, economic, and racial justice, and strengthening our democracy.

Each year, VCV publishes the Vermont Environmental Common Agenda of legislative priorities. This Agenda represents the priorities of a range of organizations across Vermont working on matters affecting our shared natural resources, the character of our communities, and the health of Vermonters.

The policy priorities identified in this year’s Environmental Common Agenda aim to help address some of the most critical challenges facing Vermont. By advancing these policies, lawmakers can put us on a path to a more resilient, just, and prosperous future. We must address the climate crisis by implementing the state’s Climate Action Plan as swiftly and equitably as possible. Policies identified in the plan will help Vermonters and local businesses have cleaner and more affordable alternatives to heat and power their buildings and get where they need to go. Further, the Plan identifies action steps to shape land use and development that store carbon, enhance our climate resilience – and, critically, to help address the housing shortage using smart growth solutions. This year, we are also calling on lawmakers to continue our nation-leading efforts to reduce our families’ exposure to toxic chemicals, and continue to take steps to ensure a healthy and accessible democracy for all.

Specifically, we are calling on lawmakers to:

• Implement the Climate Action Plan to cut pollution, save Vermonters money, protect public health, and create good-paying union jobs by:
  • Adopting an equitable and accountable Affordable Heating Act;
  • Updating the Renewable Energy Standard to achieve 100% renewable energy and ensure development of significantly more new renewables; and
  • Investing in clean transportation and mobility solutions, environmental justice, and other critical climate initiatives.
• Build a more climate-resilient Vermont by implementing smart growth housing solutions, while better protecting our valuable forests, waters, and wetlands.
• Promote a healthier Vermont by:
  • Banning toxic chemicals like PFAS from personal care products and textiles; 
  • Reducing plastic waste by modernizing the Bottle Bill; and 
  • Promoting a healthy democracy.

To learn more either watch the video below, read the Common Agenda, or scroll through our issue pages

Scroll down and click on the topics below to learn more about our 2023 priorities and how things are going this legislative session.

2023 Environmental Common Agenda

To learn more about the 2021-22 legislative biennium please read our Legislative Bulletin from May of 2022.