Minnesota's 2026 Climate Action Framework aims for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040

Minnesota’s 2026 Climate Action Framework outlined

An updated Climate Action Framework outlined by state lawmakers on Wednesday provided progress on the plan that has since created 40 laws and programs, while providing more $1 billion of state funding to address the needs surrounding climate change.

(FOX 9) - Minnesota's updated Climate Action Framework outlined ambitious goals put forth by state lawmakers on Wednesday in an effort to tackle the alleged effects of increasing climate change.

Minnesota’s climate goals

What we know:

The 2026 Climate Action Framework was unveiled at the North End Community Center in St. Paul on Feb. 11.

Developed with input from hundreds of Minnesotans, the plan builds on the original framework published in 2022, and "aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs that support a clean environment."

Dig deeper:

Among its wider range of goals, the framework calls for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and increased adoption of electric vehicles, while also emphasizing reducing emissions from building heating and agriculture.

It also outlines more than 400 specific actions across seven goal areas, including clean transportation, resilient communities and a clean economy. The efforts aim to address the impacts of a changing climate, which nearly nine in 10 Minnesota communities have reported experiencing, lawmakers claim.

Since 2022, Minnesota has distributed $95 million to over 160 local governments in the past two years to prepare for "climate change impacts."

Near-term priorities to "reduce climate pollution and prepare Minnesota for climate change" within the Climate Action Framework include:

• A continued push to implement 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040
• Accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and reducing transportation emissions
• Lowering emissions from heating our buildings
• Sustained funding for infrastructure updates and disaster response
• Reducing agriculture emissions while restoring peatlands and sustainably managing forests
• Strong financing strategies for the transition to clean energy

The 2026 framework also includes over 400 specific actions Minnesota must take in the state’s seven goal areas for climate action:

• Clean transportation
• Climate-smart natural and working lands
• Resilient communities
• Clean energy
• Healthy lives and communities
• Clean economy
• Efficient and resilient building

What they're saying:

"We remain committed to ensuring Minnesota is a great place for clean investments that will protect all Minnesotans," said Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Wednesday.

A video of the full press conference held on Wednesday can be found in the player above.

You can also read the full 2026 Climate Action Framework here.