Washington, DC — Moments ago, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced he has chosen Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate.
In response, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaigner Charlie Jiang said:
“The Biden-Harris administration must take transformative action from day one to advance a Green New Deal and end the era of fossil fuels. The baseline for ambitious climate action has shifted dramatically for Democrats over the past year — it will be up to both Biden and Harris to move beyond false solutions like carbon capture and storage (CCS) and tackle social, environmental, and economic injustice at their roots. The evolution of Senator Harris’ climate platform as a presidential candidate speaks to her commitment to holding big polluters accountable for their role in the climate crisis. We hope to see her continue this pursuit of climate justice for vulnerable communities as a vice presidential nominee and double down on ending fossil fuel production in the United States and around the world.
“Meanwhile, Trump’s climate policies are a raging dumpster fire. Communities across the United States are reeling from the compounding crises of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. But instead of taking action to prevent further suffering, Trump and his cabinet are bending over backwards to bail out fossil fuel CEOs. Climate denial is not a victimless crime, and the perpetrators will be held accountable at the ballot box.”
Harris concluded her campaign for the Democratic nomination with a B+ (77/100) on the Greenpeace climate 2020 scorecard, one place ahead of Biden at the time. She’s an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal as well as co-author of the Climate Equity Act and Environmental Justice for All Act.
Jiang continued:
“We also recognize the significance — and complicated nature — of Senator Harris’ nomination for communities of color. Harris will be the first Black and Asian American woman on the presidential ticket for a major party, an important marker of progress for a country that has excluded voices like hers from political power for far too long. At the same time, as a prosecutor, she has contributed to the unjust over-policing and mass incarceration of Black people. Just as our movement must hold her accountable to her promise to deliver a Green New Deal, we must also push her to reckon with her past and adopt policies to create a world beyond prisons and policing.”
ENDS
Note: This statement was updated on August 13, 2020, to reflect Harris’ record as a prosecutor.
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, ryan.schleeter@
