Program areas at VPIRG
General membership services: as the largest membership-based environmental and consumer advocacy organization in the state, vpirg provides educational and informational resources on our campaigns and related issues to tens of thousands of members and supporters annually. Vpirg continues to serve as the go-to resource for individuals and groups to learn about Public Interest policy issues and opportunities for making their voices heard on issues at critical times throughout the year.
Democracy:vpirg actively supports efforts to make our democracy more open and transparent. We seek to ensure that elections are fair and accessible, and we are committed to reducing the undue influence of money in our political process. Continued on schedule oin 2023, vpirg led the campaign to win voter approval to expand the use of ranked choice voting in Vermont's largest city, burlington. The ballet question won the support of more than 64% of voters. Vpirg also ran a voter education campaign in burlington as voters used the system for the first time in council races across the city. Statewide, vpirg successfully advocated in the senate for the passage of legislation to implement ranked choice voting in the 2028 presidential primary.
Climate and energy:our climate & energy work is driven by the understanding that we must fully decarbonize both Vermont and the nation, and that everyone deserves access to clean and affordable energy and transportation. Breaking down barrierscontributing torural, bipoc, and low-income communities being left behindin this transition is a core part of our efforts.continued on schedule oin 2023, vpirg pressed for a clean heat standard that would reduce vermonters' reliance on fossil fuels, shift to more affordable clean energy and lock in long term energy savings. Vpirg also supported efforts to update Vermont's clean electricity requirements with one of the strongest renewable energy standards in the nation.
Zero waste: vpirg works to advance policies and solutions that hold manufacturers accountable for the products they put into our environment and move us closer to zero waste in Vermont. In 2023, vpirg's work to modernize Vermont's popular bottle bill program culminated in legislative approval in the house and senate for a bill that would expand the scope of the program, make redemption more convenient for consumers, and reduce the burden on small retailers. The governor vetoed the bill late in the session and an override was scheduled for 2024.
Environmental health: vpirg works to protect Public health and our environment from the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals that we're exposed to every day. In 2023, vpirg launched a major new campaign to protect pollinators in Vermont by phasing out the use of toxic neonic pesticides. And in a significant win for our environmental health program, outdoor retailer rei announced that it would pfas in all textile products and cookware from its suppliers. This was a campaign vpirg, and other groups nationally had been working on for several years.
Consumer protection: vpirg serves as a watchdog, protecting the Public Interest when corporations attempt to put profits over people, and ensures that the policies and laws that we do pass to protect the Public Interest are, in fact, enforced. In recent years, vpirg's consumer protection program has placed a specific emphasis on working for policies that protect consumers in the digital space. In 2023, vpirg supported comprehensive consumer data privacy legislation that would have given Vermont consumers greater control over if and how companies use their sensitive personal information. We also supported fair repair legislation that would have required agricultural equipment manufacturers to provide farmers and independent repair providerson fair and reasonable termsaccess to the parts, tools and information necessary to fix their equipment.
Other miscellaneous programs