We’re not going to sugarcoat it: this month has been tough. With the election of Donald Trump (who is now putting together a dangerous, fossil-fuel friendly Cabinet) and the impending installment of a Republican trifecta in D.C., it’s no secret that advancing climate action at the federal level is going to be an uphill battle. Here at LCV, we are committed to continuing to fight for climate action at all levels of government and prepared to defend the amazing climate progress achieved by the Biden-Harris administration and Congressional champions. Stay in touch with us to learn about actions you can take to protect our climate and democracy as we continue the fight.

Good Climate Election News (Yes, Really!)

While Republicans may have taken the Oval Office and Congressional majority, there is still a lot to celebrate from election night. LCV Action Fund endorsed pro-environment, pro-democracy candidates emerged victorious in races across the country, including in battleground states such as Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan.

Other states that elected climate champions to House and Senate seats include Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. These climate champions will work to prioritize people over polluters, advance climate action, and strengthen our democracy.

State Climate Wins from the Election and Beyond

Speaking of advancing climate action, this election saw voters advance the pro-climate option on several state ballot measures.

In Washington, 62% of voters rejected Initiative 2117, one of the biggest attacks on clean energy in the country. Initiative 2117 made LCV history as the first-ever ballot initiative to be named to LCV Victory Fund’s Dirty Dozen in the States. By rejecting this initiative, voters chose to uphold Washington’s carbon market which has generated over $2.15 billion for green projects including electric vehicle rebates, air quality initiatives, and clean energy infrastructure.

And in California, voters approved a $10 billion climate bond which will fund water conservation, wildfire resilience, coastal protection, and renewable energy projects while advancing President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. LCV state affiliate California Environmental Voters (Envirovoters) helped bring Prop 4 across the finish line!

Beyond the election, states have taken major steps to address the climate crisis in the last month. California launched its home energy rebate program through the Inflation Reduction Act, the seventh state to do so. The program will help eligible residents save thousands of dollars on home energy upgrades that are good for the planet and their wallets.

Across the country, the Massachusetts legislature passed a sweeping climate bill to limit fossil fuels and expand clean energy in the state. The bill includes provisions to limit natural gas infrastructure, accelerate green energy permitting, and enhance battery storage and EV charging. The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), an LCV state affiliate, worked closely with House and Senate Utility and Energy Chairs and led coalitions to ensure lawmakers continued to hear the urgency from multiple stakeholders.

And finally, after abruptly withdrawing the plan over the summer, New York Governor Kathy Hocul announced the revival of a congestion pricing program in New York City. The new plan will have reduced tolls of $9 during peak hours, down from the previously proposed $15. Congestion pricing will reduce the number of cars on the road leading to less air pollution and safer, cleaner air for NYC residents. The New York League of Conservation Voters helped get the proposed plan back on the table and achieve this exciting climate win.

Federal Action for Clean Air, Clean Water and Healthy Communities

Climate progress that will create safer, healthier air and water for our communities continues at the national level too. Over the last several weeks, the Biden-Harris EPA has issued a slew of rules to improve public health nationwide.

The Biden-Harris administration is committed to protecting families and children, particularly those in communities of color and low-income communities, from dangerous lead exposure. In pursuit of this goal, the EPA strengthened standards for getting toxic lead dust out of homes and childcare facilities and issued a final rule requiring replacement of all lead water service lines across the country in the next 10 years. These new rules will reduce lead exposure, which can cause developmental issues in children and cardiovascular disease and cancer in adults, for millions of people across the country.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration recently committed $3.6 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improving water infrastructure. The funding will help communities nationwide upgrade their water infrastructure to ensure they have access to clean drinking water and can safely manage their wastewater.

Climate Wins for Indigenous Communities

The last month has seen incredible progress on Indigenous-led climate action at the national, local, and even international levels.

In October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in California, the first National Marine Sanctuary proposed by Tribes. The designation is the result of a decade of work by the Chumash people in central California, who will also be involved in the management of the sanctuary.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration is investing federal climate funds to support clean energy for Tribes. A $200 million effort to build out clean energy resources on Tribal lands is bringing solar power to the Navajo and other Tribal communities across the country that lack reliable, or any, access to electricity. Electrification will help these communities cope with extreme temperatures and improve quality of life.

The Treasury Department recently proposed new guidance to increase access to funding from the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for Tribal businesses planning projects to lower carbon emissions. The proposed guidance will make Tribal businesses, which are exempt from federal taxes and therefore unable to get the tax rebates available to other businesses through the IRA, eligible for direct cash payouts from the program instead.

The Biden-Harris administration’s green bank program is also helping Indigenous communities access clean energy funding. A recipient of program funding announced it will extend a $10 million line of credit to Spruce Root, a nonprofit community lender serving southeast Alaska, to fund zero-emissions projects in Tribal communities. The financing will allow members of Indigenous communities to make climate-friendly home upgrades, such as replacing diesel generators with zero-emission heat pumps, as well as pursue other low-carbon projects.

In international news, delegates at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Colombia agreed to form a new body to ensure Indigenous voices are included in conservation decisions. The body will acknowledge and preserve traditional Indigenous knowledge systems and “strengthen representation, coordination, inclusive decisionmaking, and create a space for dialogue” between countries and Indigenous communities, said Sushil Raj, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s executive director of the Rights and Communities Global Program. The creation of this body is a major step forward for Indigenous communities who are often on the frontlines of the climate crisis worldwide.

Want more good climate news?

Follow us on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) for weekly Good Climate News updates. We are also now on BlueSky, and be sure to check out our Starter Pack for other climate and democracy organizations to follow! We’ll be back on The Power Source blog next month with another roundup of highlights.

In this new political moment, it is more important than ever to make your voice heard to protect people and the planet. To get involved in bringing about even more good climate news, join us at lcv.org/get-involved/.