At FCNL, we seek an earth restored. Our policy statement reads “we must make choices that protect, sustain and regenerate the earth’s ecosystems.” We must also make decisions that bring justice to vulnerable and marginalized communities, which often experience the effects of climate change first and worst.
Unfortunately, 2017 has been filled with decisions from the administration and Congress that undermine these very goals. From the announcement that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, to the repealing of the Clean Power Plan, our work towards an earth restored has faced significant setbacks.
Despite the many challenges we’ve faced in 2017, this past year has also provided significant victories and moments for hope. We are pleased to share just a few of these moments with you:
Republican Climate Resolution: In March, H. Res. 195 was re-introduced in the House of Representatives. The resolution acknowledges the reality of human-caused climate change and urges Congress to take action. Originally known as the “Gibson resolution” in the 114^th Congress, this resolution was re-introduced this Congress with a total of 17 cosponsors. At the end of 2017 the resolution had reached 23 Republican sponsors. FCNL’s advocacy and grassroots network played a critical role in the formation of this resolution.
Climate Solutions Caucus: The bipartisan caucus, formed by Reps. Curbelo (FL-26) and Deutch (FL-22), has more than tripled in size since it was founded in 2016 and will end 2017 with 31 Republicans and 31 Democrats. The mission of the Climate Solutions Caucus is to educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and to explore bipartisan policy options that address the impacts, causes, and challenges of our changing climate. The caucus has played an important role this year, helping to secure legislative victories during climate votes, introducing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt, hosting briefings, and speaking out against harmful environmental actions taken by the administration.
Methane: In May, the Senate defeated an attempt to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s Natural Gas Waste rule. This Obama-era regulation sought to limit the venting and flaring of methane from the oil and natural gas industries on public and tribal lands. There was bipartisan support for protecting the rule in both the House and the Senate.
Climate language in the NDAA: In July, the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus played an essential role in protecting climate change language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This climate language – which recognizes climate change as a national security threat – remained in the final NDAA that was signed into law by the President in December.
International Climate Finance: In September, Senators Collins and Alexander cast the deciding votes during an Appropriations Committee meeting to protect the U.S. contribution of $10 million to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) which convenes the COP meetings and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which provides research and reports on climate change to the global community.
Bipartisan Floor Speeches on Climate Change: In November, members of the Climate Solutions Caucus took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to speak publicly on their reasons for joining the caucus and the importance of addressing climate change.
FCNL’s Quaker Welcome Center: In November, FCNL’s new Quaker Welcome Center launched as a place where members of Congress can have bipartisan dialogue on challenging issues. The first public event featured two Climate Solutions Caucus members, Reps. Ryan Costello (PA-06) and Anna Eshoo (CA-18), who engaged in a dialogue lasting over 30 minutes on climate change and the importance of bipartisan action in Congress. The event was featured in the Washington Post.
COP23 in Bonn: At the 23^rd Conference of Parties (COP23) held in Bonn, Germany, the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement’s goals was upheld by an ad-hoc delegation of states, cities, and businesses. During the COP23 negotiations, Governor Jerry Brown and Michael Bloomberg announced the institutions still working to meet the Paris goals. If these collective institutions were a country, they would have the third largest economy in the world.
Bipartisan Climate Legislation: Throughout the year, bipartisan legislation was introduced to address climate change, including H.R. 2326, the Climate Solutions Commission Act of 2017, H.R. 2858, the SUPER Act of 2017, and H.R. 4126, the Transparency in Energy Production Act of 2017.
Advocacy Corps: The 2017-2018 Advocacy Corps is focused on fostering bipartisan action on climate change in Congress. Their relationship-building with members of Congress around the country is providing an important increase in energy and capacity to FCNL’s Sustainable Energy and Environment program.
We look forward to building on this progress as we move into 2018. There will undoubtedly be challenges, especially with an administration that remains in denial of climate science. Within Congress, however, bipartisan consensus on climate change continues to grow.
Across the private sector, more and more businesses are investing in clean energy and emissions reductions. Private entities, along with state and local officials are still striving to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Perhaps most importantly, the grassroots momentum for climate action has never been stronger.
As we move into 2018 we must maintain that momentum. Learn how you can foster bipartisan climate action in Congress, or find other ways to support FCNL’s climate work. As momentum builds, we are hopeful that 2018 will be a pivotal year in addressing climate change. We are hopeful that 2018 will bring us one year closer to an earth restored.
