153 GLOBAL LEADERS PEN LETTER TO BIDEN: ‘YOU CAN BE REMEMBERED AS THE “CLIMATE PRESIDENT”

Washington, D.C. – Today, 153 individuals, world leaders, activists, CEOs, elected officials, NGO leaders, current and former government officials, and other public figures from around the globe released a letter to President Joe Biden encouraging him to be the “climate president” who rises to the urgency of this moment by exercising his “bold leadership” to address the climate crisis.

“You can be remembered as the ‘climate president’ who led humanity off the cliff-edge. You can transform the world’s energy systems from fossil fuels to clean energy, while also creating an abundance of jobs, reducing harmful pollution, and tackling economic, racial, and health inequality in the process,” the leaders wrote.

Signers include Former Governor of California Jerry Brown; General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation Sharan Burrow; Actor and Co-Founder of Earth Alliance Leonardo DiCaprio; Co-founder of Global Optimism and former Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres; Founder of Fire Drill Fridays Jane Fonda; Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford; Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert; Vice President of Environment, Policy, Social Initiatives at Apple Lisa Jackson; National Director of the Working Families Party Maurice Mitchell; Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement Varshini Prakash; Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson; Former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd;   Founder of NextGen America Tom Steyer; and President and CEO of the NDN Collective Nick Tilsen.

Signatories also include the former national leaders of Kenya, Chile, and the Maldives as well as current or former government officials from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Chile, the Netherlands, Italy, North Macedonia, Spain, and the United Nations.

The letter appeared as a full-page ad in today’s New York Times.

The letter comes after President Biden took a series of actions on his first day in office, including rejoining the Paris climate agreement, aimed at reestablishing American climate leadership and transitioning the country to a clean energy economy.

The letter continues, “Choosing to take bold leadership will allow us to build back better and to build forward to a new world we can create together. By rejoining the Paris Agreement on day one, you have moved the United States in the right direction. But, as you have stated, it is simply not enough and we must “do all we possibly can.”

The full text of the letter is below and can be found here. 

Mr. President,

Congratulations! Your inauguration marks a turning point in history for the United States of America and for the world. The task ahead is enormous: The need to tackle the devastating global health and economic crises, and the need to unite Americans in doing so, is urgent.

As we recover from Covid and rebuild the global economy, we must also act on climate change. In fact, these are not separate missions, they are one and the same. This is the most decisive decade in human history to confront the climate crisis.

You can be remembered as the ‘climate president’ who led humanity away from the cliff-edge. You can transform the world’s energy systems from fossil fuels to clean energy, while also creating an abundance of jobs, reducing harmful pollution and tackling economic, racial, and health inequality in the process.
Choosing to take bold leadership will allow us to build back better and to build forward to a new world we can create together. By rejoining the Paris Agreement on day one, you have moved the United States in the right direction. But, as you have stated, it is simply not enough and we must “do all we possibly can.”

You’ve famously said: “When I hear the word climate change, I hear jobs.”  We agree. While the climate crisis presents incredible challenges, it is also the greatest economic opportunity for innovation, job creation, new businesses, and investment in our communities. It goes hand-in-hand with restoring justice and building an equitable, inclusive, and just future for all.

Your commitment to build back better with clean energy jobs and tackling the legacy of environmental injustice is the consequential action that science and our future demands. We will work alongside you to realize this ambitious pursuit.

Our children and grandchildren must see this as the moment the world was saved.

In partnership,