John,
COP28, the annual UN-led global climate summit, ran into overtime this week as participating countries clashed over whether to commit to phasing out of fossil fuels. In the end, vague language about “transitioning away” was as far as some countries were willing to go.
This lackluster result is no surprise, John, as this year’s conference was hosted by the UAE petrostate and presided over by an oil company executive.
COP28 was a missed opportunity for bold climate action, but you and I don’t have to tiptoe around this issue. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis. And the only way to preserve a livable planet is to end the world’s deadly addiction to coal, oil and gas as quickly as possible.
The clock is ticking, and we simply can’t afford more wasted climate conferences overseen by oil executives and chock-full of fossil fuel lobbyists. We must have the courage and moral clarity to say “enough” to the fossil fuel industry. As it currently stands, even with the strong climate actions we took in the last Congress, the U.S. is not on track to reduce carbon pollution in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
John, the situation is dire, but we can still turn this around.
That’s why last month, I joined Senator Merkley to introduce legislation that would end American taxpayer funding for dirty fossil fuel infrastructure projects abroad, instead redirecting those funds to invest in sustainable development.
And that’s why just last week, I joined Rep. Chuy Garcia in opposition to the House Committee-passed PIPES Act. This bill prioritizes industry interests over public health and safety, and utterly fails to address environmental risks and the full carbon pollution impact posed by CO2 pipelines.
From ending international financial institutions’ financing of fossil gas projects, to standing up to Big Oil, and more, our fight against the climate crisis is more urgent than ever. I’m leading this fight in Congress. If you agree, add your name here.
Let’s get to work.
Jared
