What Would a Harris Presidency Mean for the Climate?
With President Joe Biden stepping aside from the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has announced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. As Harris steps into the spotlight, her extensive history of environmental advocacy is receiving renewed scrutiny.
Harris's Environmental Track Record
Support for the Green New Deal: As a U.S. senator, Harris was an early co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, a comprehensive plan aiming to transition the U.S. to 100% clean energy within a decade. This proposal includes provisions for job guarantees for displaced workers and a national healthcare system. In her 2019 presidential campaign, she outlined a $10 trillion climate plan targeting carbon neutrality by 2045 and 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030.
Legislative Achievements: As vice president, Harris was instrumental in promoting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history. This act aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 42% below 2005 levels by 2030. Harris advocated for allocating $20 billion to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to support disadvantaged communities impacted by climate change.
International Commitments: Harris represented the U.S. at COP28 in Dubai, where she announced commitments to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. She also pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund to aid developing nations in adapting to climate challenges.
Environmental Justice Initiatives: As San Francisco's district attorney, Harris established an environmental justice unit to address environmental crimes affecting the city's poorest residents. As California attorney general, she secured an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for emissions cheating and prosecuted several companies for environmental violations.
Future Climate Policies
Clean Energy and Emissions Targets: Harris's climate plan includes achieving 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030 and ensuring that 50% of new vehicles sold are zero-emission by the same year, with a goal of 100% by 2035. She proposes a climate pollution fee to hold polluters accountable and strengthen enforcement against fossil fuel companies.
Climate Justice and Accountability: Harris plans to establish an Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability, which would represent frontline communities, conduct research, and monitor government compliance regarding climate and environmental justice.
Continued Support for the Paris Climate Agreement: Harris is a strong proponent of the Paris Climate Agreement and aims to prioritize the climate crisis as a national security issue.
Conclusion
A Harris presidency would likely build on the climate policies and achievements of the Biden administration, with a strong emphasis on environmental justice, aggressive emissions reduction targets, and substantial investment in clean energy. Harris's extensive track record in both legislative and legal arenas suggests a robust and proactive approach to tackling the climate crisis.
Hashtags
- #KamalaHarris
- #ClimateAction
- #GreenNewDeal
- #EnvironmentalJustice
- #CleanEnergy
