Above photo: @photokayne | Eric Kayne/AP Images for Fossil Free Media.
The President has broad authority under existing law to stop fossil fuel projects and jumpstart the just transition to clean energy.
After his first year in office, President Biden has not lived up to his promise to respond to the climate crisis and has done next to nothing to curb new fossil fuel development.
Washington, DC – After his first year in office, President Biden and his administration have failed to take meaningful action to keep fossil fuels in the ground. We are sending a powerful, unified message to Biden and demand that he use his executive authority to stop approving fossil fuel projects and exports, end new federal fossil fuel leasing and development on public lands and waters, and declare a national climate emergency. We also delivered Biden a gigantic presidential pen and executive order at the White House.
The Build Back Fossil Free campaign has organized a huge letter to Biden reiterating our demands for bold executive action to keep fossil fuels in the ground, protect communities from the toxic impacts of coal, oil, and gas development, and declare a climate emergency* to advance energy justice.
With over 1,100 organizations signed on, this letter demonstrates the strength and breadth of our movement as we demand Biden fulfill his promises to the people and take bold action to stop the climate crisis. The people are done waiting.
February 24, 2022
Dear President Biden,
As 1,140 organizations collectively representing millions of members and supporters, including Indigenous, Black, Brown, and frontline communities, we urge you to use your executive authority to speed the end of the fossil fuel era, protect our communities from the climate emergency, and address the severe harms caused by fossil fuels.
Your first year in office was marked by historic climate disasters, another alarming surge in domestic greenhouse gas emissions, and increasingly dire warnings from the leading scientists around the world. From hurricanes and floods, to wildfires and droughts, tens of millions of Americans are directly confronting the dangerous consequences of a warming world. Indigenous, Black, Brown, AAPI and working-class communities are disproportionately harmed not only by fossil-fueled extreme weather, but also targeted by oil, gas, and coal corporations and suffer from toxic pollution and ongoing environmental injustices.
You have repeatedly identified the existential threat posed by climate change, calling it a “code red” for humanity, and stated in your first week in office, “In my view, we’ve already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis. We can’t wait any longer.”
You further promised “environmental justice will be at the center of all we do addressing the disproportionate health and environmental and economic impacts on communities of color — so-called ‘fenceline communities’.” And you elevated the respect of Indigenous sovereignty and ordered federal agencies to strengthen nation-to-nation relationships with Tribes.
These statements must be backed up by bolder action. You have the authority under existing law to wind down fossil fuel production and catalyze a just, renewable energy revolution to deliver healthier communities, a livable future, and millions of good-paying jobs. It’s critical that you use that authority as quickly and broadly as possible.
Together, we call on you to take these steps:
- Follow through on your promise to ban all new oil and gas leasing, drilling, and fracking on federal lands and waters.
- Direct federal agencies to stop approving fossil fuel projects, including pipelines, import and export terminals, storage facilities, refineries, and petrochemical plants. Direct the Department of Energy to halt gas exports to the full extent authorized by law.
- Declare a climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, unlocking special powers to reinstate the crude oil export ban, redirect disaster relief funds toward distributed renewable energy construction in frontline communities, and marshal companies to fast-track renewable transportation and clean power generation, creating millions of high-quality union jobs.
The U.S. must contribute its fair share to the global effort to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with what science, justice, and equity demand. Your administration’s legislative and regulatory climate proposals have not addressed limiting the production and burning of fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. As fossil fuel lobbyists and politicians continue to block real climate action in Congress, bold executive action is desperately needed.
President Biden, you are the chief executive with immense powers to address our communities’ concerns.
You showed what serious climate leadership could look like in your first week in office when you canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and paused oil and gas leasing on federal lands. The urgency of the moment requires you to return to that original ambition. Fully deliver on your climate and environmental justice promises by using your executive authority to keep fossil fuels in the ground and build a resilient and affordable renewable energy system.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
- 198 Methods
- 350.org
- 50by40
- About Face: Veterans Against War
- Action Center on Race and the Economy
- Action for the Climate Emergency
- Alianza Americas
- Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
- Amazon Watch
- American Friends Service Committee
- American Jewish World Service
- Animas Valley Institute
- Anthropocene Alliance
- Arm in Arm
- Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
- Beyond Extreme Energy
- Beyond the Bomb
- Bold Alliance
- Bright Green Energy Foundation
- Businesses for a Livable Climate
- CatholicNetwork US
- Center for Biological Diversity
- Center for Climate Integrity
- Center for International Environmental Law
- Center for Popular Democracy
- Climate and Community Project
- Climate Crisis Policy
- Climate Hawks Vote
- Climate Justice Alliance
- Climate March
- ClimateMama
- Coalition Against Nukes
- Conceivable Future
- Daily Kos
- Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action
- Earth Day Initiative
- EARTHDAY.ORG
- Earthkeeper Health Resources
- Earthworks
- Eco-Conscience
- Ecoaction Committee of the Green Party of the United States
- EcoAmerica
- EcoHealth Network
- Elders Action Network
- Elders Climate Action
- Elected Officials to Protect America
- End Climate Silence
- Endangered Species Coalition
- Energy Justice Network
- Family Farm Defenders
- Farm Forward
- Field Team 6
- Flight Free USA
- Food & Water Watch
- Forest Keeper
- Frack Action
- FracTracker Alliance
- Fridays for Future U.S.
- Friends of the Earth U.S.
- Future Coalition
- Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
- Global Exchange
- Global Warming Education Network
- Global Witness
- Grassroots Environmental Education
- Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
- Great Old Broads for Wilderness
- Green America
- Green Latinos
- Green New Deal Network
- GreenFaith
- Greenpeace USA
- Greenvest
- Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy
- Hazon
- Hindus for Human Rights
- Honor the Earth
- In the Shadow of the Wolf
- Indigenous Environmental Network
- Indivisible
- Inland Ocean Coalition
- Institute for Policy Studies, Climate Policy Program
- Interfaith Oceans
- Interfaith Power & Light
- International Rivers
- International Student Environmental Coalition
- John Muir Project
- Labor Network for Sustainability
- Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution
- Lutherans Restoring Creation
- Mission Blue
- Mothers Out Front
- Mountain Lion Foundation
- MoveOn Civic Action
- National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- National Religious Coalition on Creation Care
- NDN Collective
- Nuclear Information and Resource Service
- Ocean Conservation Research
- Oil and Gas Action Network
- Oil Change International
- Our Climate
- Our Revolution
- Oxfam America
- Partnership for Policy Integrity
- Pax Christi USA
- Peak Plastic Foundation
- People’s Action
- People’s Solar Energy Fund
- Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Popular Resistance
- Presbyterians for Earth Care
- Presente.org
- Progressive Democrats of America
- Project Coyote
- Property Rights and Pipeline Center
- Prosperous Planets
- Protect All Children’s Environment
- Quaker Earthcare Witness
- Rachel Carson Council
- RapidShift Network
- Rainforest Action Network
- Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
- Republicans for Integrity
- Revolving Door Project
- Right To The City Alliance
- RootsAction.org
- Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
- Save EPA
- SAVE THE FROGS!
- Science and Environmental Health Network
- Senior Stewards Acting For the Environment
- Sequoia ForestKeeper®
- Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective
- Sierra Club
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
- Small Business Alliance
- Stand.earth
- Sunrise Movement
- Surfrider Foundation
- System Change Not Climate Change
- The Climate Mobilization
- The Earth Bill Network
- The Last Plastic Straw
- The People’s Justice Council
- The Shalom Center
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth
- Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community
- Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
- United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministries
- United Methodist Women
- United Native Americans
- UnKoch My Campus
- Upstream
- US Climate Action Network
- Waterkeeper Alliance
- WE ACT for Environmental Justice
- Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network
- Women’s Environment and Development Organization
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom US
- Zero Hour