Delivering on Promises: New Report Highlights Democratic Climate and Environmental Justice Wins

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a new report, “Solving the Climate Crisis 2022: Key Accomplishments and Additional Opportunities,” the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis lays out the historic advancements made fighting the climate crisis over the past two years and reveals that more than 300 of the Select Committee’s initial policy recommendations have been turned into laws since 2020, demonstrating the hundreds of ways House Democrats have delivered on their pledge to address the climate crisis.

The report details how the Select Committee’s policy recommendations have come to life through the Inflation Reduction Act, which secured the largest investment in climate and clean energy solutions in United States history and will lower costs for people around the country by expanding the reach of cleaner, cheaper energy, appliances, vehicles, and more; the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS & Science Act, and the Energy Act of 2020.  

The Select Committee report highlights the tangible benefits these laws are delivering to communities across the country, including: 

• Driving investment in affordable clean energy, electric vehicles made in America, and cost-saving energy efficiency technologies; 
• Making environmental justice a cornerstone of climate action through a focus on stronger enforcement of environmental laws and investments to vulnerable communities; 
• Creating good-paying clean energy jobs; and
• Reducing harmful and climate-destabilizing air and climate pollution, particularly in frontline communities already on the forefront of climate change.

The report also calls for a variety of additional actions to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice, including a comprehensive approach to critical minerals sourcing and recycling, increased support for communities experiencing energy transitions, and protection and conservation of at least 30% of lands and waters.  

In response to the report, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz released the following statement:

“On behalf of the Sierra Club and our millions of members and supporters, we express our deepest gratitude to Speaker Pelosi, Chair Kathy Castor, and all the Committee members, staff, and stakeholders for the relentless efforts and inspiring achievements they made fighting the climate crisis, powering economic recovery through clean energy advancements and family-sustaining jobs, and addressing the long legacy of environmental injustice in this country.

“This Committee’s vision and efforts have changed the course of American history by putting us on a path to achieving our climate goals, and our collective successes over the past two years are a testament to what our people-powered movement can achieve together. But our work is far from over, and the report leaves us with additional opportunities to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice. Together, we will continue to fight for climate solutions that work for all communities.”