Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Dubai, UAE – Today, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28), the United States announced it will join the Power Past Coal Alliance. The Alliance is a global collection of countries, cities, regions, and organizations mobilizing to move the world off coal.
The Sierra Club has been a longstanding member of the Power Past Coal Alliance. The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign has worked to secure the retirements and proposed retirements of 375 coal plants across the country. There are 155 coal plants with no plans to retire.
The Biden administration’s historic announcement to join the Power Past Coal Alliance comes as the administration is working on and considering a number of critical safeguards to protect Americans from the dangers of coal and coal pollution. In a recent study published in Science, it was found that pollution from coal-fired power plants across the United States was responsible for at least 460,000 deaths over the past two decades, causing twice as many premature deaths as previously estimated.
In response, Sierra Club Managing Director Eva Hernandez released the following statement:
“In joining the Power Past Coal Alliance, President Biden and his administration are making a historic commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Americans across the country. For too long, people have been saddled under the weight of deadly coal pollution, ravaging their health and destroying their future. In joining the Alliance, the Biden administration is joining those who have been fighting to move beyond coal for years.
“We know the reality: coal kills people and threatens our collective future. That’s why, for more than a decade, the Sierra Club has partnered with communities and organizations to move beyond coal and ensure a livable future for every single one of us. We are proud to have retired 375 coal plants, and we will not rest until every last plant has retired and every person, no matter their zip code, can breathe safe, clean air.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.