Sierra Club Statement on President Biden’s Earth Day Announcement and Speech

Seattle, WA - Today, as calls continue to mount demanding bold climate action through legislation and administrative action, President Biden issued an executive order on climate forests and nature-based solutions. The order, which was detailed in a speech celebrating Earth Day, launches a process to define and inventory old and mature forests on federal lands, so that policies are enacted to conserve them, and initiates a nature-based solution assessment to understand nature capital and ecosystems to help in the preservation and conservation of natural places.

Tomorrow, thousands of people across the country are taking to the streets demanding President Biden and Congress pass bold, transformational investments in climate, care, jobs, and justice.

In response, Sierra Club Acting Executive Director Dan Chu released the following statement: 

“Since 1970, millions of Americans have taken to the streets every Earth Day demanding our leaders take action to protect our clean air and water, our communities, and create a livable future for each and every one of us. This year is no different.

“Since taking office, President Biden has rolled out an ambitious series of executive actions to protect communities, tackle air and water pollution, accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies, and leverage the power of the federal government to tackle the climate crisis. This work continues with his executive order helping put us on track to conserve the 30 percent of public lands and waters that scientists say is needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate disruption, while also providing clean air and water and wildlife habitat. Forests, particularly mature and old growth forests, draw in and store massive amounts of carbon, making them a natural, cost-effective solution to the climate crisis. We must protect these carbon critical climate forests if we want to take meaningful action on climate and conserve America’s iconic landscapes and ecosystems for future generations.

“At the same time, thousands are preparing to gather in Washington, DC and across the country calling on President Biden and Congress to pass bold, transformational legislation that invests in climate, care, jobs and justice. In order to fulfill the promise of Earth Day and President Biden’s climate commitments, Congress must pass legislation that secures a clean energy future, which will safeguard our national security and will tackle climate change.

“President Biden’s announcement today marks a critical step in harnessing our natural world in the global fight against the climate crisis. To ensure Congress and the Biden administration are meeting the moment and fulfilling their commitments, this must be the start. As Congress returns from recess, they must finally put a bill to a vote and finish their work on investing in climate, care, jobs, and justice. And President Biden and his administration must continue to advance critical rules and safeguards to protect our old and mature forests, clean air and water, and address the climate crisis.”