Northeastern states' climate change program needs boosts to hit future targets

Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001 "largely driven by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere."

Since the late 18th century, the planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius).

New York and eight other RGGI states have set varying targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, which an international scientific consensus says is driving man-made global climate change.

Sean Mahar, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said RGGI is an essential tool to drive emissions reductions while providing numerous economic benefits that provide critical resources to create jobs, advance clean energy goals and lower utility bills for consumers.

Job projections foresaw major gains in the renewable energy industry (more than 369,000 jobs added during the decade), and energy efficiency sector (291,000 jobs added); however, thousands of jobs would be lost in the natural gas industry as that fuel was used less to make electricity.