DNC Climate Council Statement on the Signing of the Historic Inflation Reduction Act & Call for Bold Climate Action to Continue

WASHINGTON, DC – The following statement is from Michelle Deatrick, Chair and Founder of the DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis. 

“The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is the single biggest U.S. investment in clean energy, climate and jobs ever. It is a historic achievement made possible by tireless advocacy by tens of thousands of organizers, activists, scientists, artists and more across the U.S. and the world, President Biden’s leadership, and House and Senate Democrats' unwavering determination to serve American families and protect the planet. 

One thing is crystal clear: the climate emergency is a core political issue. With a stroke of his pen today, President Biden is on track to create 9 million clean energy jobs in the next decade and fulfills part of his pledge to cut climate pollution in half by 2030. This legislation moves us closer to the Democratic Party’s Platform commitment to do our fair share to keep us on the path to 1.5 degrees of warming. 

But a problem of this magnitude cannot be solved with a single piece of legislation or a single signature. We must not rest when so much is at stake.

We must declare a climate emergency and continue to push to address the gaps left in our response to the threat to our planet. We must continue to lead on climate, end fossil fuel subsidies, and live up to our responsibility to the countries that contribute the least to the problem but are most affected by the climate crisis.

As the components of this legislation are implemented we must ensure accountability and carefully measure its impact so we can fill gaps before it is too late. 

One striking and undeniable issue with this legislation is the disproportionate impact it will have on already overburdened communities as a result of increased drilling. Environmental injustice is a national crisis, endangers lives, and stalls economic and personal growth and development. While the IRA includes $3 billion for Environmental and Justice Block Grants to invest in community-led projects and provides additional clean energy tax credits for low-income families, there is much more work to be done when it comes to ensuring true environmental justice for all Americans.

Today’s victory has been a long time coming, and while we pause to celebrate and reflect on its wide-ranging impact, the enormity of the climate and environmental injustice crises demands we push forward with unwavering determination to protect our one precious planet. ”