Pete Buttigieg: It Will Take Everyone to Tackle Climate Change

Washington, D.C. — In a video released today, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and former presidential candidate, said communities must fight climate change together if the United States is to secure a safer, healthier future. The video from Buttigieg is part of a series of Climate Power 2020 featuring elected leaders and experts from across the country focusing on the importance of climate action.

“It’s going to take every community to tackle climate change. From the coast, to right here in the Midwest, from our biggest cities to all the family farms,” said Buttigieg. “This is our shot… We can break from the past, and when we do, we will grow and thrive united.” 

Climate action is broadly popular with voters and candidates up-and-down the ballot have increasingly made the climate crisis a focus of their closing message to voters ahead of Election Day. Former Vice President Joe Biden, for example, called the climate crisis the No. 1 issue facing humanity.

Almost two-thirds of voters say comprehensive climate legislation should be a priority for the next Congress and the president in 2021, including about a third (34%) who say it should be a top priority, in a September Yale/Climate Nexus/George Mason poll. An October CNN poll found that 55% of voters said climate is very or extremely important, while another 21% say moderately important, in determining who they will vote for as president.