U.S. Capitol Building. Photo: Wally Gobetz via Flikr
August 12, 2022 (BOSTON, MA) – The U.S. House has passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The bill aims to cut a significant amount of climate-damaging pollution by 2030 while bolstering the economy through lowered energy costs and new jobs. It now heads to President Biden for his signature. Conservation law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“The U.S. is long overdue for real action on climate,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “This bill will help slash emissions at a time when the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt around the country. We still have work to do at the state and local level to respond to this crisis and bring emissions down to zero by 2050.”
The bill marks the first time that real climate action has progressed to the president’s desk. It includes provisions for rebate programs to make electrifying homes and vehicles more affordable, funding for clean energy infrastructure to spur the transition off fossil fuels, and mandates to ensure fair-market wages and job training in the clean energy industry. It also provides funding for communities on the frontlines of climate change, which often include low-income or Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
At the same time, the bill includes several troublesome provisions related to the expansion of fossil fuels. It will also only get the country part of the way towards meeting the necessary reduction in emissions, with no funding or path forward to get us the rest of the way.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
###