Net-zero carbon pledges are becoming common for utilities. But a huge number of them are failing to decarbonize within any timeframe that truly matters. They’re not phasing out coal, they’re building lots of new gas plants, and they’re not building enough clean energy.

We’ll talk about a damning new analysis of utility climate goals from The Sierra Club that digs into the actual numbers.

Then, we turn to the urgency of a national clean energy standard. What are the new political pieces needed to get a nationwide target in place? And can we build it to serve marginalized communities? A new analysis maps out the possibilities.

Finally, the bombshell news that General Motors will only sell zero-emissions cars by 2035. How hard is it to turn around a company born and raised on internal combustion? A cautionary tale from Volkswagen offers some answers.  

Leah Stokes, professor at UC-Santa Barbara, joins Stephen, Katherine and Jigar this week. Leah is the co-author of the two reports we are discussing.

Leah is also a co-host of A Matter of Degrees, a new podcast that looks at the forces behind climate change — and how “climate-curious” citizens can tackle it.

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