In response to the Biden administration’s plan to suspend Arctic drilling leases, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaign Director Janet Redman said:
“The disastrous idea to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas corporations was never anything more than an eleventh hour favor to fossil fuel billionaires from the previous administration. It made zero sense then and as demand for oil continues to plummet and climate impacts wreak havoc across the world it makes even less sense now. Scientists are clear that 100 percent of Arctic oil and gas must stay in the ground if we’re going to limit global warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius outlined in the Paris agreement.
“The bar for President Biden and his administration has never been whether they can reverse the climate destruction of the previous administration, but if they’ll do what science and justice demand to stop the climate crisis. We fully expect President Biden to keep his promise to phase out fossil fuels and transition to 100 percent renewable energy. This includes ending oil and gas leasing on all federal lands and waters.”