President Biden today will issue a second round of executive orders focused on building a clean energy economy that works for all Americans by reducing fossil fuel pollution and investing in underserved communities.
Maine’s leading environmental advocacy organization, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), applauded the Biden Administration for prioritizing ambitious, science-based actions that will deliver meaningful and measurable benefits to Maine’s environment and economy, and support implementation of Maine’s new Climate Action Plan.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s climate actions signal a strong shift away from polluting fossil fuels and toward jumpstarting a clean energy economy that works for all,” said NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann. “Strong, sustained federal action on climate is needed to deliver states like Maine the tools and resources they need to improve people’s lives by creating new jobs, developing clean, affordable energy sources, and protecting public health.”
Today’s executive actions by the Biden-Harris Administration will:
- Freeze oil, gas, and coal leases on public lands, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and identify opportunities to spur innovation of new clean energy technologies;
- Focus clean energy investments in disadvantaged communities and maximize the creation of new jobs;
- Address environmental justice by rooting out policies that disadvantage low-income communities and communities of color who bear the brunt of pollution impacts;
- Pledge to increase conservation of lands and oceans to sequester and store more carbon, increase ecological resilience, and protect biodiversity;
- Create a new Civilian Climate Corps to restore public lands and waters; and
- Implement an all-government approach by integrating climate change into decision-making by every government agency and elevate climate change as a key consideration in national security and foreign policy discussions.
President Biden’s day one executive orders issued on January 20, 2021, rejoined the U.S. to the Paris Climate Accord, set a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, revoked the Presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and began reversing the more than 100 environmental rollbacks that the Trump Administration had implemented. These include fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, public lands protections, and restrictions on potent methane pollution.
“President Biden’s groundbreaking executive orders will be just the start from an administration that understands that the time to act on the climate crisis is long overdue,” continued Pohlmann.
The Biden-Harris Administration has assembled an experienced list of Cabinet nominees who have promised to fulfill his vision to integrate climate policy into every level of his Administration — carrying out a comprehensive plan to cut carbon pollution and invest in clean energy infrastructure that will create jobs and protect public health and our communities. NRCM is collaborating with other organizations as part of the Confirm Climate coalition to call on Senators Susan Collins and Angus King to confirm President Biden’s nominees with haste so they can hit the ground running.
