Gov. Jay Inslee’s new climate plan is a critical development because it takes the climate conversation to a new level – how to actively dismantle the fossil fuel industry and its political power in order to win the change we need.
“The U.S. is poised for a massive oil and gas expansion that would make achieving our climate goals basically impossible if left unchecked. Governor Inslee’s plan is the first we’ve seen that truly acknowledges this emergency and proposes critical steps to turn it back,” said David Turnbull.
“With his international climate policy plan, Governor Inslee makes it clear that simply saying ‘I will rejoin the Paris Agreement’ is nowhere near enough to show true climate leadership on the global stage.”
Vice President Biden’s signing the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge solidifies a near-consensus position amongst Democratic presidential contenders in finally rejecting the fossil fuel industry’s influence on our politics.
With Julián Castro’s announcement today that he will reject contributions from fossil fuel industry executives, corporate PACs, and lobbyists, he joins thirteen of his counterparts in signing the pledge. The writing is now on the wall for the fossil fuel industry.
More than 200 groups sent a letter to U.S. senators today, urging them to oppose a bill that would provide billions of dollars of support for natural gas infrastructure projects in Europe.
This week has seen some important public statements from candidates about their plans to constrain Big Oil, Gas, and Coal’s expansion and implemented a controlled wind-down of fossil fuel production that addresses environmental injustices and strengthens labor protections. Here’s a quick run-down of these stances on real climate leadership.
His plan to combat climate change includes passing a Green New Deal, committing to ban fracking, new fossil fuel infrastructure, and fossil fuel leases on public lands, and ending the export of coal, natural gas, and crude oil.
“Today’s resolutions mark the start of a new conversation on climate action in the United States that can finally begin, and we look forward to engaging fully to ensure a managed decline of fossil fuel production is a key part of that discussion,” said Turnbull.
The number of Congressmembers who have taken the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge has more than doubled to 35 members, and nearly a third of newly elected Democrats who flipped U.S. House seats have taken the pledge.
