In case you missed it, today, following President Biden’s announcement of the Build Back Better Framework, leading experts from across the environmental, labor, and environmental justice movement came together to discuss the climate provisions in the newly released framework and how this historic and transformational legislation will help communities across the country by delivering on climate action, jobs, and justice, if passed.   

WATCH the full recording here.

John Podesta, Chair of Center for American Progress and co-founder of Climate Power, said, “We commend the White House and the leadership in the House and Senate for overcoming some real disappointments in the climate space and producing a framework that was released today … that shows that the Build Back Better Act has the most significant, historic investments in climate and environmental justice in history. We believe it will meet the climate test by putting us on a clear path to cut carbon pollution in half by 2030.”

Carol M. Browner, Board Chair of the League of Conservation Voters and former EPA Administrator, said, “I was very proud to be part of President Obama’s commitment on climate change in the Recovery Act — this is on the order of six times that investment. And it could not come soon enough. As we think about cars, renewables, jobs, the opportunities are in front of us to create a very different future. We need Congress to act, we need them to act quickly. The world is watching.”

Jason Walsh, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance said, “Americans shouldn’t have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment — we can and must have both. We now have an opportunity to see that principle realized in federal legislation. With the Build Back Better framework announced today we can make historic investments in climate and jobs and pair them with policies that would ensure this funding delivers justice for workers and communities. We can rebuild our economy to be cleaner and stronger and more equitable … Let’s be clear that this framework is a big deal for workers and for the climate.”

Michele Roberts, National Co-Coordinator at the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform said, “For too long, communities of color have been on the front lines of our nation’s most toxic pollution and face the most severe harms from climate change. These threats undermine the ability of communities of color to participate equally in the economy and to live safe, healthy and prosperous lives. It is unacceptable that communities of color living on the frontlines of power plant, refineries, and other industrial industrial facilities have higher rates of cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, neurological issues and other life-threatening health problems. The Build Back Better framework includes vital investments to address these historic injustices.”

Dr. Leah Stokes, Senior Policy Advisor, Evergreen Action and Associate Professor, UC Santa Barbara said, “This is six times larger than any previous investment we’ve seen in climate change and it has the potential to dramatically cut carbon pollution. It’s clear that we need the framework as it is laid out … We have to deliver on the promise of this legislation which means we have to pass it in the form that it currently is. This is really a potential moment to be not just transforming American carbon pollution but also making it more affordable for people to pay their electricity bills and creating millions of good-paying jobs.”

An overwhelming majority of Americans support climate action, and the Build Back Better Act is our moment to build an equitable, clean energy future. Recent analysis shows that clean energy tax credits that span 10-years, among other actions at the state and federal level can put us on the path to still meet President Biden’s goals to equitably cut climate pollution in half by 2030.   

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