Slim majorities mean legislators have a bipartisan climate mandate
Benji Backer
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For the last few years, consensus among the public has been growing that climate change is happening, human activity has contributed, and the challenge needs to be addressed with urgency. With that number growing to 80% of voters in a recent poll, there has never been a clearer mandate for our elected officials.
Fortunately, there are solutions that are also popular. Renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, has never been more popular, and even support for once-controversial nuclear energy is on the rise. Natural solutions such as planting trees and restoring key ecosystems remain popular among the electorate as well. Even wonky permitting reform, getting the government out of innovators’ way, has significant support. The policy pathways span from energy to conservation to the regulatory environment, all of which and more are important pieces to the climate puzzle.
CHINA KEEPS PROVING IT CANNOT BE TRUSTED ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Contrary to what some may say, the job is not done because Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act. There’s still a lot of climate policy that can be pursued in Congress and even more than can be implemented in each of our communities. It’s clear that people want actionable climate solutions that protect our environment and bolster our economy. It’s the legislators’ job to help us get there, and that requires working across differences.
The 117th Congress, despite one party having extremely narrow majorities in both chambers, has taken significant action on climate and energy, almost always on a bipartisan basis. From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to the CHIPS and Science Act to smaller bills in between, legislators have worked across the aisle on coastal resilience, incentivizing innovation, and more. While the Inflation Reduction Act was passed on a partisan basis this fall, we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking bipartisan climate work is dead.
Next Congress, durable, bipartisan solutions to climate change and energy affordability must be prioritized. At COP27, my organization held an event about this very topic, bringing together conservatives, liberals, activists, industry leaders, and policy experts. The aforementioned poll showed that the public thinks energy independence and climate policy could be prime opportunities for bipartisan collaboration. If the public knows it, our legislators must, too. Already, there are signals that legislators on both sides of the aisle would be willing to work together on streamlining burdensome regulations and helping nature fight back against climate change.
Young voters especially are tired of the partisanship and gridlock. We want elected officials who are willing to put in the work to get results. No one is saying that the future of climate action is easy, quite the contrary, but it’s work that must be done. Rather than creating a binary between alarmism and denial, our leaders should chart a path forward on durable, bipartisan climate policy that improves lives and the health of the planet that we call home. We know it can be done. Now it’s time to do it.
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Benji Backer (@BenjiBacker) is the president and founder of the American Conservation Coalition.