Will Biden finally declare a climate emergency? Here’s why he should.

Can you believe it? After years of public pressure, reports say the Biden Administration is considering declaring a climate emergency.

But what does that mean, and why is it so important? 

The Biden Administration has the power to declare a climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act. If they did, it would be HUGE. Declaring a climate emergency would carry immense weight, enabling a range of measures to be implemented quickly. It would give the White House the ability to: 

  • Reinstate the crude oil export ban
  • Deny permits for any new fossil fuel projects or drilling
  • Mandate a phase out of fossil fuel production on federal lands and waters. 
  • Redirect disaster relief funds toward distributed renewable energy construction in frontline communities
  • Marshal companies to fast-track renewable transportation and clean power generation, all while creating millions of high-quality union jobs. 

In short: a climate emergency declaration is not merely symbolic; it is a crucial step towards catalyzing the transformative change needed to address the climate crisis. And with fossil fuel companies trying to build new infrastructure left and right, a climate emergency declaration would be an important tool to stop the madness and build a sustainable future instead. 

We’ve been asking the President to take this step for years, and it’s needed now more than ever. We’ve just faced ten straight months of global heat records and it appears there’s more to come. The United Nations’ climate chief issued a red-alert warning on climate, after record heat and ice melt in 2023. Here in the United States, climate disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, and the forecast is for another sweltering summer.

Extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, have cost the U.S. more than $1 trillion in recent years–globally it is $16 million per hour. Human health is being directly impacted, and inequity is being furthered in the U.S. and globally. Food supplies are directly impacted and over 1 billion people could be displaced in the coming years.

If that’s not an emergency, I don’t know what is. 

Let’s make it official. We’re coordinating a nationwide petition with the goal of sending at least 100,000 names to the White House demanding: Declare a climate emergency now!

Let me be clear. So far, President Biden has been the strongest U.S. president yet on climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act he championed provided more than $370 billion on clean energy over the next decade. The Environmental Protection Agency under his supervision has moved forward on several key rules that will reduce climate pollution from cars, power plants, and more. 

But there’s much more to be done and we’re running short on time to do it. 

This is the climate crisis, and this is an emergency. Tell President Biden: This is not a drill. Declare a climate emergency now! 

Add your name to the petition today. 


Add your name to the nationwide petition


CCAN Applauds Historic New EPA Standards To Crack Down on Power-Plant Pollutants

CCAN Applauds Historic New EPA Rules to Crack Down on Power-Plant Pollutants

As the EPA finalizes new rules to put a stop to harmful fossil-fuel pollutants, climate activists look forward to the next steps

Washington, D.C. — On April 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a historic package of standards restricting pollution from fossil-fuel power plants throughout the nation. The new regulations require that existing coal and new gas power plants cut or capture 90% of their emissions, update and strengthen the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) limiting toxic metal contamination, and mandate safe disposal of coal ash and toxic wastewater. Climate activists celebrated the release of the new rules as a major victory for public health and clean energy.

Communities and families across America will benefit from EPA enacting these rules in a variety of ways including: 

  • The power plant carbon pollution rule is expected to prevent 360,000 cases of asthma symptoms in 2035 and prevent up to 1,200 premature deaths. 

  • The updated MATS regulations are projected to result in $130 million in climate benefits between 2028 and 2037. 

  • These rules will reduce a wide range of toxic pollutants like arsenic, selenium, and other heavy metals that can cause cancer; and harm to the kidneys, lungs, and nervous system. These rules will also reduce pollutants that lead to developmental delays, learning disabilities, and birth defects.

Quentin Scott, Federal Director for Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), made the following statement in response to the newly finalized rules: 

“Low-income communities and communities of color who disproportionately live near fossil fuel power plants have been waiting far too long. The fight to update these standards spanned multiple administrations but President Biden and Administrator Regan promised they would get it done– and now they did it! This is a big step in the right direction toward righting past wrongs done to environmental justice communities. We aren’t done, but days like these get us excited for the work to come.”

Unfortunately, not all utilities will look at these rules as an opportunity to change their business priorities, but instead see it as a last chance to saddle rate-payers with a financial boondoggle. They’ve already started. Dominion Energy has proposed a 1,000 MW gas plant in Chesterfield, Virginia and Duke Energy has proposed 10 new gas plants in their service territories. We’re ramping up our members and partners for the next phase of this fight for a cleaner, safer future.”

The package of EPA standards has now been finalized from the agency’s perspective. However, they are now subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to reverse agency standards. Senator Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia has already promised to file a motion in the coming weeks to reverse these rules. It’s unclear if U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will bring the motion for a vote.  

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.