What Kamala Harris’ track record on climate makes clear

This story was originally published by grist and is reproduced here as part thereof Climate Desk cooperation

After weeks of intense media speculation and continued pressure from Democratic lawmakers, major donors and senior advisers, President Joe Biden announced That he is withdrawing from the presidential race. he He is the first sitting president to move so close to election day. “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to resign and fully focus on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a letter Sunday.

He endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his place. “Today I would like to give my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year.”she saidIn another statement. Shortly after, Harris announced through the Biden campaign that he wanted to run for president. “I am honored to receive the President’s endorsement and my intention is to pursue and win this nomination,”she said.

During his tenure, President Biden managed to pass a surprising number of major policies into law with a razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate. His crowning achievement is signature Inflation Reduction ActOr the IRA – the largest climate spending act in US history, which would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by up to 42 percent below 2005 levels. In announcing his withdrawal, Biden called it “the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.”

Despite his legislative successes, the 81-year-old Democrat has not weathered a massive backlash after a debate performance in June in which he appeared weak and struck many in his party as ill-equipped to lead the country for another four years. He will leave office with a portion of it The proposed climate agenda was not passed and the US Still guess the miss The goal of his administration Reducing emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030.

Former President Donald Trump has promised to undo many of the policies that Biden did if he becomes president, Including parts of an IRA. And his chief advisers and scores of former members of his presidential administration have contributed a plan That advocates repealing the vast majority of the country’s climate and environmental protections. Whichever Democrat runs against Trump has a strong mandate: Protect America’s already fragile climate and environmental legacy from Republican attacks.

With Biden’s approval, Vice President Harris, A Former US Senator from California, is the preferred Democratic nominee, but that doesn’t mean he’ll automatically get the nomination The Democratic National Convention on August 19 is less than 30 days away. Thousands of Democratic delegates who have already voted for Biden will either decide on a nominee before the convention or hold an open convention to find their new nominee — something like Not done since 1968.

As vice president, Harris argued For the $20 billion appropriation for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which aims to help disadvantaged communities facing climate impacts, and often promotes the IRA at events, the bill touts investments in clean energy jobs, including installing energy-efficient lighting. and replacing gas furnaces with electric heat pumps. He was also the highest-ranking US official to join international climate talks COP28 in Dubai last yearwhere he announced the US commitment to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. At the same conference, Harris announcement A $3 billion commitment to the Green Climate Fund to help developing countries adapt to climate challenges Politico reported That sum was “subject to the availability of funds,” according to the Treasury Department.

“Vice President Harris has been integral to the administration’s most important climate achievements and has a long track record as an influential climate champion,” Evergreen Action, a climate-oriented political group, said in a statement.

Harris caught some objections to a potentially overstated usage“$1 Trillion in 10 Years”Diagram to describe the Biden administration’s climate investment. He got that money from himAdding up all the administration’s major investments over the past four yearssome of which are only vaguely connected to climate change.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, Harris Recommended On the campaign trail is a $10 trillion climate plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, including 100-percent carbon-neutral electricity by 2030. Under the plan, 50 percent of new vehicles sold will be zero-emission by 2030; and 100 percent of cars by 2035. But that proposal, like similarly ambitious climate change proposals released by other Democrats during that election cycle, was nothing more than a campaign wish list. A better indicator of what his plans for climate change will look like as president — even better than his record as vice president, much of his agenda was set by the Biden administration — may be buried in his record as San Francisco’s district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and As Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017.

As District Attorney, Harrismade upAn environmental justice unit to deal with environmental crimes affecting San Francisco’s poorest residentsaccusedSeveral companies, including U-Haul, have been charged with violating hazardous waste laws. Harris later described his environmental justice unit as the first of its kind in the country.an investigationThe unit has filed only a few cases, however, and none of them against major industrial polluters in the city.

As attorney general, Harris won an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for rigging its vehicles with emissions-cheating software and investigated ExxonMobil over its climate change disclosures. He andfiledA civil lawsuit against Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips for environmental violations at the gas station, eventually resulting in $11.5 million.disposal. and heA criminal investigation is conductedof an oil company for the 2015 spill in Santa Barbara. The company was found guilty andConvicted of nine criminal charges.

“We need to do more,”Harris saidAt the climate conference in Dubai late last year. “Our actions collectively, or worse, our inaction, will affect billions of people for decades to come.”

Clayton Aldern contributed to the writing and reporting of this article.

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