Newsom’s Climate Budget is Large by Historic Standards, but Doesn’t Match the Size of the Threat. Today’s Call to Accelerate Clean Energy Must Mean More Climate Spending.

CONTACT: Veda Banerjee, 510-844-0229, veda@envirovoters.org

SACRAMENTO, CA – California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s State of the State Address relating to his administration’s efforts to fight climate change.

Statement from Mary Creasman, Chief Executive Officer, CA Environmental Voters:

 

“Governor Newsom has proposed the state’s largest investment ever in climate solutions and, as exciting as that is, it is no silver bullet for the climate crisis. By challenging California to accelerate its transition to clean energy today, he’s showing the climate courage Californians need from their leaders. Let’s be clear, however, that doubling down on our efforts must mean doubling what we are spending to stabilize our climate. As California is blessed with another enormous budget surplus, we can’t squander this chance to save the state from exponentially worsening wildfires, drought, extreme heat, and pollution. We need to double the amount we are targeting with the state budget this year and in the next few years. No less than 10 percent of our budget will adequately be a down payment on the solutions to protect our future. 

 

“We must have the climate courage to bring justice to low-income communities of color neighboring our state’s biggest polluters, move markets and create jobs of the future by powering our economy on clean energy, and avoid burdening our kids with an irreversible climate catastrophe. We have the solutions to stop worsening weather events and our budget surplus gives us the resources to truly begin to solve this crisis.”

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California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.

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