June 4, 2019 — Today, shortly after ranking second-to-last among Democrats in Greenpeace’s 2020 climate candidate scorecard [1], Joe Biden released a detailed plan for how he would tackle the climate crisis as president.
In the plan, he commits to boosting job creation by investing in renewable energy, attaining net zero emissions no later than 2050, and rejoining the Paris climate agreement. However, he falls short of laying out a plan to phase out fossil fuels in line with what science says is necessary to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
In response, Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner John Noël said:
“This plan marks a critical step forward for Biden on the climate crisis, one that brings him closer to the level of ambition we need from our next president. Biden spent the first months of his campaign pointing toward his past when questioned on climate. Now, he has something to point to for the future.
“Still, this plan does not do nearly enough. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, January 20, 2021 must be the first day of a new wave of resistance against the fossil fuel industry. For someone who continues to call the climate crisis an ‘existential threat’ — and whose competitors are delivering with visionary climate plans with the potential to transform our democracy and economy — we hope to see more out of Biden. Biden has been a leader in the polls since his announcement; if he wants to become a leader on climate, he needs to outline a plan to phase out fossil fuels.”
ENDS
Notes:
[1] Greenpeace USA’s interactive candidate scorecard is available here, a detailed breakdown by candidate is available here, and the scoring methodology is available here. The scorecard will continually be updated as candidates announce new plans to combat the climate crisis.
To maintain independence, Greenpeace USA does not endorse or oppose any political party, candidate, or elected official. We work to hold all candidates for office to the standard that science says is necessary to avert climate crisis, which means supporting a Green New Deal and ending fossil fuels.
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
