One bill making its way through the 2026 legislative session is the Clear Horizons Act — SB 18 — that aims to codify restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions, require greenhouse gas emission reporting and expand the duties of the Environmental Improvement Board.
The bill creates limits on CO2 that can be met either by direct reductions or through carbon offsets that remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
The bill’s goals for statewide gas emission limits include at least a 45% reduction by 2030, at least 75% reduction by 2040 and by 2050, 100% less than 2005 levels.
On Feb. 3, the bill passed the Senate Conservation Committee with a “Do Pass” recommendation and some amendments.
The University of New Mexico Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight Director of Coordination Hannah Loftus said that while the bill had some merits, there are further improvements that LEAF and other New Mexico environmental groups would like to see.
“If you want to do these things like carbon zero or net zero, you’re sort of proposing these false solutions that aren’t necessarily going to actually help,” Loftus said. “You have to have meaningful emissions reductions, not feel like greenwashing mechanisms and you can’t allow large corporations, especially oil and gas companies in New Mexico, to continue to pollute the air and the water. The bill focuses a lot on offsets, which is a false solution to the climate crisis. It’s not something that’s actually going to make anything better or make anything accountable because offset is such a general term. It’s not really allowing anybody to be held accountable or actually do anything.”
Sen. Anthony Thornton (R-19) voiced concerns about the bill’s effectiveness at combating climate change and the economic repercussions the bill could have for New Mexicans.
“The total carbon emissions of New Mexico, it’s less than 1% of the U.S. emissions. The U.S. total emissions is about 11% of the total global emissions. And so, even doing that quick math tells you that New Mexico, if we were to get rid of all carbon emissions tomorrow, would have a 0.1% impact on climate,” Thornton said. “And that’s only if you make the assumption that there’s a one to one relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and climate, which there is not.”
According to a study commissioned by the New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico was responsible for 1.3% of total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2021, and a European Union database from 2023 lists total global contributions by the United States at 12%.
An assessment by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego attributes two-thirds of global warming caused by human activities to carbon dioxide emissions.
“I think the real issue is that they’re looking at generating tax money, additional money, through carbon credits and saying, ‘well, if you pay us this much money, we’ll allow you to emit this carbon, and therefore, you’re gonna be good to go,’ and so it actually sets up a whole carbon credit system, and that’s really the issue,” Thornton said.
Thorton said he is concerned for the impact the legislation will have on rural New Mexicans’ day-to-day lives.
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“We’re going to impose all kinds of regulations from a non-elected board that’s going to impact everybody’s lives,” Thornton said.
A newly added subsection of the bill specifies that emissions regulations would only apply to sources which individually have the potential to emit 10,000 metric tons or more of greenhouse gases annually in New Mexico, or include a group of two or more stationary sources that collectively have the potential to emit 25,000 metric tons or more of greenhouse gases annually.
Missi Currier, CEO of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo that the bill’s potential economic detriments outweigh its environmental benefits.
“While addressing climate change remains important, SB 18 fails to balance environmental goals with economic realities. The bill would raise the cost of living, threaten jobs and economic diversification, and strain household finances, creating long-term challenges for New Mexico’s working families and communities,” Currier wrote.
Currier expressed concerns regarding oil and gas job losses, particularly in rural areas such as Lea, Eddy and San Juan counties.
“SB 18 would have real and significant economic consequences for New Mexico families and communities. As the state becomes less affordable, working families—especially those already struggling—would feel the impact most directly,” Currier wrote. “Reduced oil and gas production would also cut state and local revenues that fund classrooms, roads, and behavioral health services, forcing tough choices or higher taxes on families and small businesses.”
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
