What They Are Saying: President Joe Biden’s Climate Executive Orders Are Bold Action
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed a series of bold executive actions to address the climate crisis, and world leaders, national political figures, climate scientists, and activists are heralding the Biden administration’s critical first steps in cutting emissions, advocating for climate justice, making the U.S a global leader in climate action and investing in clean energy jobs.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Philanthropist and Founder of NextGen America Tom Steyer: “The Biden Admin Climate Proposals are broad and deep. They demonstrate the commitment necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change while building jobs and addressing environmental justice. Exactly what they ran on and promised. Why winning the election was so crucial.” [Twitter, 1/27/21]
Mayor of Phoenix Arizona Kate Gallego: “There is much work to be done to avoid a global climate disaster. @POTUS commitments put us back in our important role as a world leader on these issues. I’m particularly pleased to see us return to the use of science and data to make informed public policy decisions.” [Twitter, 1/27/21]
Colorado Governor Jared Polis: “National progress on moving to cleaner, less expensive cars and cleaner energy is good for America and good for Colorado.”… “As long as the review is completed expeditiously, we don’t expect an economic impact in the short-term with current market factors and the many existing unused leases and permits.” [Colorado News Line, 1/28/21]
House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn: “If we hope to prevent catastrophic consequences of climate change, we must address the crisis NOW. President Biden’s Executive Actions on climate change are important steps to create good paying jobs, build sustainable infrastructure, & deliver environmental justice.” [Twitter, 1/27/21]
Representative Diana DeGette: “Too many of our communities of color have been unjustly ravaged by this climate crisis. Providing all Americans a healthier environment and bright future must be a top priority.”[Twitter,1/27/21]
President of the League of Conservation Voters Gene Karpinski: “This is the single biggest day for climate action in more than a decade.” [New York Times, 1/27/21]
President of the Environmental Defense Fund Fred Krupp: “After years of giving away oil and gas leases at fire-sale prices, tapping the brakes is a sensible and necessary step. With industry already sitting on more than 13 million acres of idle oil and gas leases, claims that a pause on leasing will cause economic harm stretch all credulity.” [Bloomberg, 1/28/21]
Executive director at Environmental Entrepreneurs Bob Keefe: Biden’s action on federal procurements would “turbocharge” clean job creation and “drive more economic growth than oil and gas could ever produce.” [E&E News, 1/28/21]
Activist with GreenLatinos Ean Thomas Tafoya: “This is the first step, requiring all these processes, but we have to be organizing to make sure these processes actually change,” Tafoya said. “Today feels really good, but there’s more work to do to actually implement this.” [Colorado News Line, 1/28/21]
Co-Chair of Unite the Poor Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II: “@POTUS action today aligns w/ 1 of our 14 Policy Priorities to Heal the Nation in the#First100Days: Enact a federal jobs program to build up investments, infrastructure, climate resilience, etc & socially beneficial jobs in poor & low-income communities”[Twitter, 1/27/21]
Paonia activist and director of the Colorado Farm and Food Alliance Pete Kolbenschlag: “In the last few years, we’ve been working to reimagine that past, and to move beyond a boom-and-bust economy.” “There’ll be a lot of noise about these orders harming rural communities, and threatening jobs and livelihoods, but one opportunity in the pause (is) to rethink how government funds itself… We need to be taking a moment to reconsider how we’re going to get to a more sustainable economy in the future.” [Colorado News Line, 1/28/21]
EXPERTS AGREE
Economist at Syracuse University David Popp: “The skills on these clean energy jobs — installing and manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines — are actually a decent match” with workers coming from fields like mining or offshore drilling. “What’s really important is how well you can match the job losses to gains.” [New York Times, 1/27/21]
American Clean Power Association CEO Heather Zichal: “If we’re going to remove 51 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and get to zero [emissions] in 30 years, this is going to require drastic action,” she said, adding that her members are prepared to invest $1 trillion in the coming years on clean energy projects. “We see nothing but opportunity.” [Washington Post, 1/27/21]
E2’s director of federal advocacy Sandra Purohit: “The sheer scale of new work created by this procurement effort and other parts of their agenda could mean more jobs across the board. Including for union workers.” [E&E News, 1/28/21]
Global head of climate solutions at Moody’s Corp Emilie Mazzacurati: Biden’s actions “signal a clear commitment to lower [greenhouse gas] emissions, protect the environment, and to tackle climate risk in the financial system.” [E&E News, 1/28/21]
Conservation Colorado executive director Kelly Nordini: “For far too long, federal lands in Colorado have been leased to big polluters for pennies on the dollar — often with disastrous long-term results for our climate and communities.” “Coloradans overwhelmingly support climate leadership based in science and grounded in equity and health to protect our state now and for future generations.” [Colorado News Line, 1/28/21]
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III: “Climate change is a national security issue, and we must treat it as such. Per direction from @POTUS, we will (among other measures) include the security implications of climate change in our risk analyses, strategy development, and planning guidance.” [Twitter,1/27/21]