Our Progress and Plans

Join us at 10:00 am to learn more about our teams’ progress and plans.

Invited Talk: NMED & the Climate Change Bureau

Claudia Borchert of the Climate Change Bureau and Michelle Miano, Environmental Protection Division Director will discuss the workings of the Climate Change Bureau and shed light on such things as:

• What is NMED doing on climate?
• How does the new Climate Change Bureau fit into departmental efforts?
• NMED legislative climate agenda for the current session
• How can 350 Santa Fe support the overall and CCB efforts?

Bios

Michelle Miano
New Mexico Environment Department
Environmental Protection Division Director

Michelle Miano is thrilled to join NMED as Environmental Protection Division Director. Originally from New Jersey, Michelle relocated to New Mexico fifteen years ago, after mistakenly applying to an editorial job in “New Mexico” instead of “New York.” Awed by the landscape and charmed by its people, Michelle has lived in New Mexico, ever since, including in Albuquerque, Arroyo Seco and Santa Fe.

Michelle worked for several years in the New Mexico non-profit community before attending the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she received the Albert E. Utton Natural Resources Law Award and spent a semester in Washington, DC as a law clerk for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Since earning her J.D., Michelle’s law practice primarily has focused on representation of Tribal Nations and Tribal interests, including in civil litigation, on land and resources issues and taxation matters. Michelle also spent time working for the New Mexico State Land Office dealing with oil and gas issues, state water issues, and state/tribal land exchanges.

In her new role as Environmental Protection Division Director, Michelle is excited to join the efforts of Governor Lujan Grisham, Secretary Kenney and everyone at NMED to achieve NMED’s mission.

Claudia Borchert
New Mexico Environment Department
Climate Change Bureau Chief

After joining New Mexico’s Environment Department in 2020 to work on climate change, Claudia Borchert became the Bureau Chief of the newly-formed Climate Change Bureau in November of 2022. The Climate Change Bureau, together with the leadership team of New Mexico’s interagency Climate Change Task Force, is developing a suite of climate action strategies for the state’s 5-year climate action plan aimed at achieving the statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction target of at least 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

The Bureau is also implementing climate actions specified in New Mexico’s Governor Lujan Grisham 2019-003 Executive Order on Addressing Climate Change and Energy Waste. For example, last May, Claudia and her team successfully gained the Environmental Improvement Board’s approval of cleaner tailpipe emission standards for passenger cars.

Join via Zoom.