August 29, 2019 — Tom Steyer made his debut in the top three of Greenpeace’s 2020 climate ranking [1] this week with a “B+” grade. Steyer’s support for a Green New Deal, stopping fossil fuel expansion, and halting new infrastructure elevated him to third place. Meanwhile, Andrew Yang’s plan, including a commitment to end fossil fuel subsidies, helped him clinch ninth place.
Jack Shapiro, Senior Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace USA, said:
“We’re pleased to see that Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang have listened to voters across the country and have released comprehensive plans indicating that the climate crisis is a foundation of their 2020 campaigns. Based on his climate survey [2], Steyer shows promising first steps toward strong climate leadership — his commitment to net-zero emissions by 2045 reflects the urgency our next president needs to have in their administration. As the campaign progresses, however, we hope Steyer provides more concrete plans to responsibly end fracking, drilling, and mining, and spells out more explicitly how he intends to uplift workers and communities disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.
“While Andrew Yang’s commitment to a Green New Deal and opposition to fossil fuel subsidies are moving in the right direction, he must change his tune on nuclear power and geoengineering and opt for a safer, more sustainable future to become a true guiding force in the climate conversation.”
The current top ten in Greenpeace’s 2020 climate ranking is:
- Bernie Sanders – A-
- Cory Booker – A-
- Tom Steyer – B+
- Elizabeth Warren – B+
- Joe Biden – B+
- Tulsi Gabbard – B
- Marianne Williamson – B
- Beto O’Rourke – B-
- Andrew Yang – C+
- Pete Buttigieg – C
Additional changes covered in this update to the ranking include Kamala Harris dropping out of the top ten. With Gillibrand announcing she is withdrawing from the race, Sanders officially leads the pack while Booker advanced to second ahead of CNN’s climate crisis town hall on Wednesday, September 4.
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. We’ve included the Democratic candidates who qualified for the first two DNC debates and remain active members in the race, as well as the two major Republican candidates, in this update.
[2] Tom Steyer’s responses to Greenpeace USA’s climate survey are 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.
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
