Statement: Bold climate bill aims to be a gamechanger

Media Contacts
Josh Chetwynd

CLEAN Future Act takes federal efforts on climate solutions to next level

Environment America

WASHINGTON — Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives announced a major new initiative this afternoon that calls for net zero emissions of global warming pollution in the United States by midcentury. This science-based target aims to keep global warming below 1.5 additional degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change. 

Reps. Frank Pallone, Paul Tonko and Bobby Rush released a detailed memo summarizing the scope of the CLEAN Future Act. The Energy and Commerce Committee leaders also announced a series of next steps for public feedback on the proposed provisions. The congressmen hope this dialogue will galvanize support for the national economy-wide transformation necessary to make meaningful progress on this issue. 

Andrea McGimsey, senior director for Environment America’s Global Warming Solutions campaign, issued the following statement:  

“Global warming affects every single American — from our families to our broader communities. We are already seeing significant life-threatening impacts every year, and if we continue to spew planet-warming pollution into our atmosphere, it will only get worse. 

“This bill represents the most ambitious example of congressional leadership on climate in more than a decade. It aims to establish a road map and national dialogue about how we can best move forward as a nation to address the climate crisis and get off fossil fuels, once and for all.  

“We applaud Reps. Pallone, Tonko and Rush for sparking more national dialogue on this pressing threat. 

“We need a stable climate to protect the present and the future, and we’re excited to work with the authors of this bill so that it provides the momentum we need to meet that goal.” 

###

Environment America is a national network of 29 state environmental groups. Our staff work together for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members across the United States put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. Environment America is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.