Today, Kirsten Gillibrand released her “Moonshot” plan for combating the climate crisis, in which she commits to phase out fossil fuel production — starting with ending drilling on public lands and eliminating fossil fuel exports — hold polluters accountable for the costs of climate impacts, achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and enact the Green New Deal.
As a result, she jumps from sixth to second place in Greenpeace’s 2020 climate ranking, earning an “A-” grade and passing Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker.
In response, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaigner Charlie Jiang said:
“Time is up for the fossil fuel industry and its enabling politicians — we the people are taking back power. We applaud Senator Gillibrand for using her platform to confront the influence of the oil and gas industry while lifting up vulnerable communities and workers. We encourage the rest of the field to join her in committing to phase out fossil fuel production in the United States, which science says is necessary to prevent even more catastrophic climate impacts like extreme hurricanes, heatwaves, and wildfires.
“For too long, fossil fuel executives have held our democracy and our economy captive. It’s time for them to face a reckoning. The American people deserve a president who aligns their positions with the science that says we can’t have fossil fuels and a safe climate at the same time, not the polluters that say we have no other choice.”
As of today, the new top ten in Greenpeace’s Climate 2020 scorecard [1] is:
- Jay Inslee – A
- Kirsten Gillibrand – A-
- Cory Booker – A-
- Bernie Sanders – B+
- Elizabeth Warren – B+
- Joe Biden – B+
- Tulsi Gabbard – B
- Marianne Williamson – B
- Beto O’Rourke – B-
- Pete Buttigieg – C
A Greenpeace report [2] released last month found that the United States must pair new investments in renewable energy with a responsible phase-out of oil, gas, and coal production in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The analysis showed that the United States could run on 100 percent renewable energy and still export enough oil to undermine global progress on cutting carbon emissions if the country does not reduce domestic production, as proposed in Gillibrand’s new plan.
ENDS
Notes:
[1] The interactive candidate scorecard is available here, a detailed breakdown by candidate is available here, and the scoring methodology is available here.
[2] The report “Real Climate Leadership: Why The Next President Must Prioritize A Fossil Fuel Phase Out” is available here.
To maintain independence, Greenpeace USA does not endorse or oppose any political party, candidate, or elected official. We work to hold all candidates for office to the standard that science says is necessary to avert climate crisis, which means supporting a Green New Deal and ending fossil fuels.
Contacts:
Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
Valentina Stackl, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (734) 276-6260, [email protected]
