Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy

From worsening climate change to extinction and habitat loss, we see the need for environmental protection all around us. 


Sierra Club staff and volunteers meet with Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) in his Capitol Hill office in Washington, DC. | Photo by Harry Manin

But the good news is – policy works

Our movement has a strong history of passing critical environmental laws that have brought species back from the brink, cleaned up polluted air, protected precious lands and waters, and invested millions of dollars in clean energy to fight climate change.

But, right now, Trump and the corporate polluters who bought access to his administration are putting the very foundations of our environmental protections at risk, including the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Grassroots pressure was a critical part in passing these transformative laws, and is essential now for us to defend them under Trump.

Since the Clean Air Act was passed, common pollutants have fallen by 80 percent, saving millions of lives and trillions of dollars!

Victory!

The Sierra Club helped stop millions of acres of public land from being sold off in Trump's disastrous budget bill. Public lands are under attack like never before, and this was one of the largest attempted public-lands sell-offs in U.S. history. After overwhelming public backlash and pressure from thousands of environmental advocates, Congress withdrew a proposal that would have put millions of acres on the auction block.

What We Are Doing

Rally to protect public lands in California

The Sierra Club works tirelessly at the federal, state, and local level to advocate for policies that protect people and the planet. Whether it’s supporting our members to attend grassroots lobbying days, submit a public comment, or call your Member of Congress, we are fighting to protect and strengthen the policies we need to safeguard our environment.

But right now, many of these laws are under attack. Trump, the fossil fuel industry, and other politicians in their pockets are trying to slash foundational environmental protections and block our progress towards an equitable, thriving future for all.

What You Can Do