Washington, DC (August 12, 2022) — Congress passed a historic reconciliation package with key climate provisions (170 yeas to 123 nays). The Inflation Reduction Act is projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 41% by 2030 from the U.S.’s 2005 baseline.  

Pacific Environment calls for President Biden to deliver on his promise on climate change and to sign an emergency Executive Order to end fossil fuel expansion and address climate change. An EO for climate crisis would provide expanded funding and other tools to stop fossil fuel expansion, therefore creating the conditions conducive for the historic $350+ billion dollars invested in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act to truly work to mitigate global warming.  

Last month, President Biden called climate change an “emergency” but chose not to declare a national emergency. According to The Hill, the president said, “As president, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger. And that is what climate change is about,” Biden said. “This is an emergency.” President Biden has said that action is coming “soon.”  

Statement by Madeline Rose, Climate Campaign Director, Pacific Environment: 

“While there are billions to celebrate in the Inflation Reduction Act, we reiterate that a scale up in clean energy must be paired with the cessation of all new fossil fuel extraction. The world’s leading climate scientists made clear in April 2022 that no new fossil fuels can be extracted from the Earth if we are to mitigate global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the threshold determined for a livable world. For this reason, we urge President Biden to declare climate a national emergency and issue an executive order to stop fossil fuel extraction along with signing the Inflation Reduction Act into law.” 

“Pacific Environment thanks the thousands of climate and clean energy advocates who have worked for 15 years towards elements of the Inflation Reduction Act. May our ongoing fights for clean energy, environmental justice, and the survival of civilization as we know it be easier, with wins more swift.”  

“We commend the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress for listening to climate science and U.S. taxpayers, putting Americans’ hard-earned dollars towards the clean energy economy that over 73% want. Pacific Environment is already working with communities, cities, states, and clean energy companies to put the Inflation Reduction Act’s hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy to work to eliminate fossil fuel pollution and transition to a zero-emission economy. We will continue to fight all new oil and gas extraction and production, especially in our beloved Alaskan Arctic, until the fossil fuel era is over.”  

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