It's a New Day for Climate Action in the United States

Friday, August 12, 2022 marked a new day for climate action in the United States. With approval of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in both the House and the Senate, that includes about $370 billion in clean energy and climate investments over the next 10 years, Congress has recognized the urgent need to address the climate crisis and passed the most significant clean energy and climate legislation in the history of the nation.

This legislative action will put us on a path to innovate new technologies, leverage the carbon-storing powers of nature, incentivize cleaner energy and build community resilience.

Importantly, it will also begin to address the disproportionate effects of air pollution and climate change on historically marginalized or underserved communities. And all of this will help our economy through job growth, improved energy security and more choices that can lower prices.

This is a game-changing moment for people and nature in the United States and beyond. This bill can help reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030, putting the U.S. within reach of its international commitments. When this bill is signed into law, the world’s largest cumulative carbon emitter will commit significant resources to address the crisis head on. This legislation also sends a signal to the rest of the world, encouraging other nations to raise their ambition and continue progress toward the shared goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

We’re no longer just beginning to find solutions and create the policies and systems to make them possible. With this bill, we’re now well on our way to putting our commitments into action by providing the incentives and support needed for a rapid transition to a clean energy economy. This long-awaited action gives me renewed hope that we will be able to tell our kids and grandkids that we did our part to ensure their future.

To be clear, our work is not done. We need to do more to address past wrongs in communities that have borne the brunt of air pollution and climate change impacts. We also have a long way to go to implement this law effectively and continue to advance federal, state and local policy changes as well as corporate and individual actions necessary to meet the challenge of our time. But today’s action gives us momentum we need to get there.