STATEMENT FROM TOM STEYER ON MARTIN O’MALLEY’S CLEAN ENERGY PLAN

“Today Pope Francis issued a powerful and inspirational encyclical on climate change—and I’m happy to see that many of our leaders are already heeding his call to action. I particularly applaud presidential candidate Martin O’Malley for answering the Pope’s call and laying out a bold plan to build a clean energy economy. By calling for the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline and a transition to 100% clean energy by 2050, Governor O’Malley is presenting real, concrete solutions to climate change that will secure our country’s economic security—and break with the dirty energy politics of the past. This is exactly the type of leadership on climate change the Pope, military and business leaders are calling for—and that we need from our next president. The fact is climate change is our greatest challenge but it’s also our greatest opportunity to create jobs, build new industries and grow our economy. I look forward to seeing candidates in both parties lay out their plans to take decisive action on this issue and build a more prosperous and sustainable future for our kids—and I hope they show the same boldness that Governor O’Malley did today. He deserves real credit for his vision, and our gratitude.”