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Plan for Combating the Climate Crisis and Pursuing Environmental Justice

A unity task force made up of supporters of both Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden has come up with a series of broad environmental recommendations for Biden as he prepares to become the official Democratic presidential nominee.

The task force’s broad plan includes a goal of eliminating carbon pollution from power plants by 2035, achieving net-zero emissions for all new buildings by 2030, and making energy-saving upgrades to as many as 4 million buildings and 2 million households within five years.

Some of the recommendations released Wednesday set more specific targets than the former vice president’s current climate plan, which calls for a shift away from coal-fired electricity, halving the carbon footprint of buildings by 2035 and starting a national program aimed at affordable energy efficiency retrofits in homes.

The group is one of several “unity task forces” made up of supporters of Sanders and Biden that is making platform recommendations as Biden courts favor from the progressive faction of the party.

• https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/506432-sanders-biden-climate-task-force-calls-for-carbon-free-electricity

• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/democratic-task-forces-send-biden-progressive-policy-roadmap-n1233198

The climate panel is co-chaired by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

"The Unity Task Force urges that we treat climate change like the emergency that it is and answer the crisis with an ambitious, unprecedented, economy-wide mobilization to decarbonize the economy and build a resilient, stronger foundation for the American people."

The plan also calls for a significant investment in renewable energy, including installing 500 million solar panels and manufacturing 60,000 wind turbines.

In the transportation sector, the group recommends the adoption of “strong standards” for clean cars and trucks and the transition of all school buses to American-made, zero-emission alternatives within five years.

Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force Plan for Combating the Climate Crisis and Pursuing Environmental Justice (PDF)

NYT / Biden’s Big Climate Decision: Will He Embrace His Task Force’s Goals?

• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/us/politics/biden-sanders-task-force.html

The share of Americans who say global climate change is a major threat to the well-being of the U.S. has grown from 44% in 2009 to 60% this year.

• https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/16/u-s-concern-about-climate-change-is-rising-but-mainly-among-democrats/

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