TWS applauds necessary legislation to bring U.S. back into Paris Climate Agreement

Today, House Democrats introduced H.R. 9, The Climate Action Now Act, which would prohibit the Trump administration from using funding to withdraw from the Paris agreement and direct the federal government to come up with a plan for meeting the emissions targets recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In response, the Wilderness Society released the following statement from Jenny Kordick, Advocacy Director for the Energy and Climate Campaign:

“President Trump has moved the United States and the world in the wrong direction on climate action at precisely the moment we need accelerated progress. This new legislation would take a necessary and welcome step to reestablish the United States as a global leader and to tackle climate change.

“The U.S. federal government should be leading by example when it comes to the urgency of addressing climate change, and the 640 million acres of public lands managed by the federal government on behalf of its citizens must play a prominent role. To have a near-term impact on climate change and meet IPCC targets, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel energy development on public lands, which currently accounts for more than 20% of all U.S. emissions, and support responsibly-sited renewable energy projects.”

Fact Sheet: H.R. 9, Climate Action Now

CONTACTS:

• Alex Thompson, Communications Manager, The Wilderness Society, (202) 429-3940, alex_thompson@tws.org

The Wilderness Society, founded in 1935, is the leading conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. With more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 109 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org