The 350 Action has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States, and Senator Kamala Harris for Vice President, ahead of the first presidential debate next Tuesday.
The group said in a statement on Thursday, September 24, 2020 that, through the endorsement, members are “signaling a strong and certain stance on the need for a President that will double down on addressing the compound crisis we are facing of climate disasters, COVID-19, economic, health and racial injustice”.
It adds that, with less than a decade to tackle the climate crisis, the country needs a change in leadership that can move forward bold climate action.
350 Action North America Director, Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, said: “With 40 days until the election, this is our chance to change the trajectory of history. Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris are running on the strongest climate platform of any presidential ticket, ever. We are confident that they will meet the scale of the climate crisis, and respond to the compounding crises of COVID-19, a failed economy, and systemic racism.
“In the primaries, we pushed the Biden campaign hard for people and the planet. And with time and relentless pressure, we have seen the campaign take up the demands of our movement. We believe that Biden and Harris can continue to be pushed towards an aggressive climate agenda. The fingerprints of long-standing environmental justice, community leaders, energy justice advocates and youth pushing for change are all over Biden’s climate plan.
“Together we will continue to demand a swift end to fossil fuel subsidies; hold fossil fuel companies accountable; transition to a 100% clean energy economy, and achieve real gains on net zero emissions by 2035. We will hold the administration to these promises and commit to working with them to make bold climate action a reality.
“The stakes are clear and present. The planet cannot withstand four more years of Trump. For the sake of our democracy, we must seize this moment to make every vote count and elect leaders who will rebuild a framework that is accountable to science and justice.”
350 Action Executive Director, May Boeve, responsed: “We are faced with the election of our lifetime and the outcome will have considerable impacts for the United States and the world. With scientists saying we have eight years to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis, we are endorsing Biden and Harris because they are best positioned to make the United States a global leader on climate action.
“Joe Biden has a long history of championing the U.S. at home and abroad and has been a leader in foreign policy. He, along with Kamala Harris, are prepared to show up on the international stage to tackle the climate breakdown we face, and seize opportunities to build a world rooted in just recovery and real action. The Biden team has a significant opportunity to put forward a collaborative approach to global relations, grounded in science-based and ambitious policy to tackle the climate crisis.
“In the last four years, we’ve seen the intensification of climate impacts across the U.S., including devastating wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and droughts. This crisis has been further exacerbated by four years of federal climate rollbacks that have set us back significantly. Biden and Harris must reverse the current administration’s dismantling of climate policies and set in place a robust climate agenda that phases us off fossil fuels.
“By endorsing Biden and Harris, we are setting the stage for leaders who are willing to be challenged by people power to build strong climate action plans. We are invested in leadership that listens and learns from those most impacted by the climate crisis. Biden and Harris are the right people for that job, and we will spend the next forty days and beyond championing their leadership to secure the future we deserve.”
