“Build Back Better” Framework Makes Important Step Forward on Climate Change

The following is a statement by Kameran Onley, director of North American policy and government relations at The Nature Conservancy, after the White House unveiled a framework of the Build Back Better Act that includes $555 billion in climate investments.

“The Build Back Better framework includes greater investments and stronger policies to address the climate crisis than we’ve seen before, and those can’t come soon enough. This bill would make important progress toward getting us where we need to be, so we’re encouraged and hopeful to get this enacted and seize the momentum for more to come. 

“Building on the framework, Congress has the opportunity to enact policies that will reduce our emissions while growing our economy. We encourage Congress to ensure robust clean energy tax credits, climate-smart forestry and agriculture initiatives, a price on carbon and a civilian climate corps are included in the final bill to make it have the most powerful impact possible. These are the types of steps we must take if we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change. These actions will create jobs, make our communities more resilient and improve the health of people and nature alike.

“For too long, our nation has dragged its feet on a response to the climate crisis. But climate change is here, it is accelerating, and will only get worse unless we act now. We must ensure these investments not only lead to meaningful progress on addressing climate change now but also lead to future steps we will take to respond to the crisis of our time. Action from Congress will also be critically important for the United States to show and communicate as it heads into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, so we can demonstrate to the world that we will make good on our climate commitments.”