Last week, the international community came together in Paris for COP21, with the goal of limiting global warming by 1.5°C. In an historic moment, leaders from nearly 200 nations pledged to aggressively tackle the climate crisis by transitioning to a clean energy economy. At COP21 we saw bold American leadership, as President Obama and his administration helped guide the international community towards consensus.
On Tuesday night, the Republican candidates had a chance to show the country how they’d lead on the world stage. In a presidential debate focused on foreign policy, not a single Republican candidate substantively addressed the historic international pact agreed to three days earlier. When climate change is set to cause over $44 trillion in damage to the global economy, ignoring this crucial issue is reckless—not the global leadership our country needs to display.
The candidates who ignored climate change on the debate stage were sorely out of touch with American voters, Republicans and Democrats alike. According to recent polling data, majorities of voters in both parties support powering our country with more than 50 percent clean energy by 2030. Given the economic benefits of clean energy, it’s no surprise this is a policy that enjoys broad support. This week, NextGen Climate America released state-specific data that shows transitioning to clean energy will bring huge economic benefits to states across the country, such as boosting Florida’s economy by $14.2 billion and creating up to 56,000 additional jobs in Ohio by 2030.
The grassroots enthusiasm for climate change solutions is obvious in the early voting states. This week, the Iowa Starting Line blog reported that climate change is “the new top issue” on progressive college campuses and very conservative enclaves across the Hawkeye State, much as marriage equality had motivated young voters in previous elections. In New Hampshire, over 60 elected officials and grassroots leaders signed on this week to NextGen Climate’s #50by30 goal, calling on presidential candidates visiting the state to lay out a bold clean energy plan. With the Democratic presidential candidates set to debate in Manchester tomorrow night, the broad coalition of voices calling for bold climate action is growing louder across the country.
With just a few days remaining in 2015, it’s clear that this year has been pivotal for climate change and clean energy. From Pope Francis’ moral call to action, to the historic COP21 agreement, this year has set up 2016 to be a critical election for addressing climate change. With recent reports concluding 2015 will be the hottest year in recorded history, there’s no time to waste.