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Energy and Environment

Charting an equitable and just path to a 100 percent clean economy with net-zero climate pollution, protection of 30 percent of lands and waters, and community investments

Solar photovoltaic power plant farm installation. (Getty/Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket)
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What We're Doing

Pursuing environmental justice

Investing in equitable climate solutions that address the country’s legacy of environmental racism while working to ensure that all communities have the right to breathe clean air, live free of dangerous levels of toxic pollution, access healthy food, and share the benefits of a prosperous economy

Creating good clean jobs at home

Laying the groundwork for an urgent transition to a clean energy economy that works for all, creating millions of good-paying jobs with the opportunity to join a union, and improving the quality of life for all Americans in the process

Protecting nature

Addressing the linked climate and biodiversity crises by working with a diverse coalition of states, tribes, and local stakeholders to conserve 30 percent of all U.S. lands and water by 2030 and promote natural solutions to the climate crisis that benefit all communities

Restoring U.S. climate leadership on the global stage

By urging strong and equitable domestic ambition for the U.S. government, restoring the United States to international leadership on climate action through bold emission reductions targets and plans to get there, climate finance, and strategic partnerships across the world

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Partners & Coalitions

The Energy and Environment Department engages with national, international, state, local, tribal, and environmental justice advocates to support the goals of climate, economic, environmental, and racial justice; bridge the gap between advocacy and action; and implement just and effective policies.

Climate Action Campaign

The CAC is a coalition of major national environment, environmental justice, and public health groups, working together to drive ambitious federal action to address the climate crisis.

Equitable and Just National Climate Platform

This coalition of environmental justice and national organizations advances economic, racial, and environmental justice to improve all communities’ well-being.

National Ocean Protection Coalition (NOPC)

The NOPC supports and implements ocean policies that balance a variety of environmental, commercial, industrial, recreational, and infrastructure interests.

Ocean Justice Forum

The forum works to create and advance an ambitious ocean policy agenda that promotes the goals of economic, racial, climate, and environmental justice.

Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign (ARDC)

The ARDC is a coalition of Alaska Native, climate, and conservation groups that works to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling.

Featured work

About our department

The Energy and Environment Department will build agreement around the climate change and conservation crises, with a focus on the demonstrable impacts people feel now to build urgency to act. We will deepen and expand our coalition, both domestic and in key foreign countries, around the scope of the challenges, and we will work on our own and with our partners to create ambitious, equitable, and just policies to protect  lands; oceans; and the health, safety, and prosperity of all communities. This includes addressing systemic racism and economic inequality, reducing pollution and its cumulative impacts in communities of color and low-income communities, and measurably improving the lives of people in the near term through our policies as we address environmental challenges. We will work with partners in key foreign countries to build agreement on agendas for ambitious global action, which will further bolster domestic support for action at home. To achieve our goals, we must confront fossil fuel corporations and their allies that are standing in the way of Americans’ desire to safeguard the planet and the survival and well-being of all life on earth.

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Historic Investments in Electric Vehicle Batteries and Chargers are Expanding Opportunities in Communities with High Poverty Rates Article
An electric car is plugged into a charging station with a palm tree in the background.

Historic Investments in Electric Vehicle Batteries and Chargers are Expanding Opportunities in Communities with High Poverty Rates

Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, communities with higher poverty rates and lower median incomes have seen a surge of investment in manufacturing EV batteries and charging equipment.

Jasia Smith, Jamie Friedman

Community Conversations Event Series Video

Community Conversations Event Series

The Biden administration’s unprecedented environmental justice investments are transforming despair into optimism and into tangible benefits in communities, including clean air and water, jobs, improved public health, and clean and affordable energy.

Margaret Cooney, Olivia Mowry

3 International Climate Priorities for 2024 Report
Photo shows several flags arranged in a circular formation, flying against a grey cloudy sky

3 International Climate Priorities for 2024

As President Joe Biden’s first term draws to a close, his administration must deliver on three international climate policies to catalyze a 21st-century clean energy economy and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Anne Christianson, Trevor Sutton, Frances Colón

The Agenda of the 118th Congress’ Antiparks Caucus Article
A view of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, with downtown Los Angeles visible in the background.

The Agenda of the 118th Congress’ Antiparks Caucus

A new CAP analysis identifies the latest congressional antiparks caucus and their wide targeted agenda to dismantle America’s most beloved public lands.

Sam Zeno

State Leadership To Conserve Nature Past Event

State Leadership To Conserve Nature

Join the Center for American Progress and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators for a discussion with state leaders about conservation policy successes.

1333 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice Online Past Event

Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice Online

Please join Azul, the Center for American Progress, and Urban Ocean Lab for an online symposium on the rising tide of justice and equity in ocean policy.

Online via Zoom

Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice Past Event

Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice

Please join Azul, the Center for American Progress, and Urban Ocean Lab for an in-person symposium on the rising tide of justice and equity in ocean policy.

1333 H ST NW, Washington, DC, 20005

Beyond 30×30: Global Ocean Conservation Quality Is Lagging Behind Quantity Article
A green sea turtle swims among the corals of Lady Elliot Island.

Beyond 30×30: Global Ocean Conservation Quality Is Lagging Behind Quantity

The international community’s commitment to protect at least 30 percent of our ocean by 2030—a goal known as “30x30”—is both inspiring and challenging; but this effort must go beyond mere numbers and strive for quality, effectiveness, and holistic conservation.

Angelo Villagomez

5 Early Takeaways From the Biden Administration’s Conservation Atlas Article
People view the sunset from a proposed expansion area of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

5 Early Takeaways From the Biden Administration’s Conservation Atlas

The Biden administration has released long-awaited metrics for U.S. land and water conservation that show national progress made toward ambitious “30x30” goals; but there’s also a deeper story to explore about the path ahead for ocean and land protection as well as the value and limits of numeric targets.

Drew McConville, Angelo Villagomez

Dreaming of a Protected Ocean In the News

Dreaming of a Protected Ocean

In the spring 2024 issue of the Smithsonian's American Indian magazine, Angelo Villagomez draws on personal memories growing up on Saipan to describe how his culture, heritage, and family continue to inform his approach to conservation advocacy today.

American Indian magazine

Angelo Villagomez

Securing Environmental Justice for All Report
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House before signing an executive order that would create the White House Office of Environmental Justice.

Securing Environmental Justice for All

The Biden administration has launched the most ambitious climate and environmental justice agenda in history to ensure that every community has clean air and water, can access living-wage jobs and affordable clean energy, and is protected from climate change threats.

Cathleen Kelly, Michele Roberts, Rachel Chang

4 Things To Know About the EPA’s Upcoming Car Emissions Standards Article
Photo shows a black plaque with gold lettering reading

4 Things To Know About the EPA’s Upcoming Car Emissions Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency’s finalized emissions standards for cars and light trucks in model years 2027 through 2032 will drive billions of dollars in public health, climate, and economic benefits.

Leo Banks

‘Clean Up To Green Up’: Building a Clean Energy Workforce and a Brighter Future in Detroit Video

‘Clean Up To Green Up’: Building a Clean Energy Workforce and a Brighter Future in Detroit

The Green Door Initiative is using federal investments from President Joe Biden's Justice40 Initiative and the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that all people—regardless of race, income, or ZIP code—have access to good jobs and live in safe and healthy communities.

Margaret Cooney, Hannah Malus, Cathleen Kelly, 5 More Matthew Gossage, Toni Pandolfo, Jeremy Hill, Andrew Sonntag, Hai-Lam Phan

We Need Smart Policy for Automakers to Profit on EVs In the News

We Need Smart Policy for Automakers to Profit on EVs

Former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) asserts the need for the United States to implement a charging infrastructure that can meet consumers’ needs in an op-ed published in WardsAuto.

WardsAuto

Rep. Andy Levin

Securing Clean Air, Clean Water, and a Healthy Environment for All Video

Securing Clean Air, Clean Water, and a Healthy Environment for All

Industrial facilities are most often located in or near Black, brown, and low-income communities who face the brunt of harmful industrial pollution, climate change impacts, and other environmental and public health hazards—something Harold Mitchell experienced firsthand in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Fortunately, the Biden administration’s long-overdue environmental justice investments can ensure that all people—regardless of race, income, or ZIP code—have clean air and clean water and live in safe and healthy communities.

Devon Lespier, Margaret Cooney, Hannah Malus, 6 More Cathleen Kelly, Hai-Lam Phan, Matthew Gossage, Jeremy Hill, Andrew Sonntag, Toni Pandolfo

The Biden Administration Can Deliver on Ocean Conservation Promises Made by the Bush and Obama Administrations Article

The Biden Administration Can Deliver on Ocean Conservation Promises Made by the Bush and Obama Administrations

Publishing final management plans for three marine monuments that have languished in bureaucratic limbo for as many as 15 years would deliver effective management for nearly half the protected waters in the United States.

Angelo Villagomez, Beth Pike, Laurie Peterka, 1 More Jen Felt

CAP Leads Letter to Administration Urging Clean Energy Incentive Eligibility for U.S. Territories Article

CAP Leads Letter to Administration Urging Clean Energy Incentive Eligibility for U.S. Territories

The Center for American Progress coordinated a letter from civil society organizations to the administration, urging the Treasury Department to allow territories to fully access direct pay and transferability for clean energy tax credits.

Frances Colón, Rachel Chang

A Green Buyers Club In the News

A Green Buyers Club

In this report published by Clean Energy Canada, Mike Williams, Rachel Chang, and their co-authors Jana Elbrecht, Ollie Sheldrick, and Mary Hellmich, analyze the status of green public procurement for construction materials in Germany, Canada, and the United States.

Clean Energy Canada

Rachel Chang, Jana Elbrecht, Mary Hellmich, 2 More Ollie Sheldrick, Mike Williams

How Cities Can Take Advantage of Direct Pay Past Event

How Cities Can Take Advantage of Direct Pay

Please join the BlueGreen Alliance, the Center for American Progress, Lawyers for Good Government, and the National League of Cities for a virtual briefing on how cities, towns, and villages can take advantage of direct pay programs and tax credit bonuses.

Online only

The Biden Administration Has Reached Conservation Records in 2023 Article
U.S. President Joe Biden walks to sign a proclamation to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

The Biden Administration Has Reached Conservation Records in 2023

After three years in office, it is clear that the Biden administration is safeguarding public lands at a record rate; in the coming year, it must continue its conservation progress through community-led, justice-centered landscape protections.

Sam Zeno

Facing the Fire: Phoenix Airport Workers Demand Protections Against Extreme Heat Video

Facing the Fire: Phoenix Airport Workers Demand Protections Against Extreme Heat

Amid record-breaking temperatures, Phoenix airport service workers filed an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaint against their employer and are demanding action to improve job conditions and safety measures.

Hannah Malus, Margaret Cooney, Devon Lespier, 4 More Toni Pandolfo, Hai-Lam Phan, Madalyn Reagan, Jeremy Hill

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