Climate Change

Climate change is the greatest challenge facing the United States—and the world—over the next decade and beyond. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities raise global temperatures with costly and deadly impacts, including extreme heat, droughts, storms, wildfires, sea-level rise, and more. This devastation disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities and low-income areas, exacerbating existing social and economic inequalities.

To mitigate these effects and protect communities, it is imperative that the United States transition to clean energy sources, implement sustainable land use practices, and invest in climate resilient infrastructure.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in 2022, lays the foundation for building a 100 percent clean energy economy by investing in clean energy development and deployment, green infrastructure, and sustainable transportation. The Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits and rebate programs allow people to affordably upgrade and electrify their homes, businesses, appliances, and vehicles—slashing climate pollution, creating new clean energy jobs, and saving families money on their energy bills.

The Center for American Progress recognizes the urgent need to reduce emissions and transition to a clean energy economy—one built with good-paying union jobs and centered on racial justice. Leaders must act quickly and decisively.

Flooded houses and cars are seen after Hurricane Florence in Wallace, North Carolina, September 16, 2018. (Getty/Atlgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency)

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About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children In the News

About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Hailey Gibbs highlights proven strategies that communities and policymakers can adopt to better mitigate the deadly effects of climate change for young children and infants.

InsideSources

Hailey Gibbs

What Trump’s Anti-Environment One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for Your Wallet, Health, and Safety Article

What Trump’s Anti-Environment One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for Your Wallet, Health, and Safety

In addition to cutting health care and food assistance programs, the act’s energy and environmental provisions would raise energy costs, increase pollution affecting Americans’ health, and increase safety risks in a worsening climate.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act Endangers the Transformation of Contaminated Sites for Clean Energy Production Article
Rows of solar panels dominate land behind homes in Chicago.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act Endangers the Transformation of Contaminated Sites for Clean Energy Production

The congressional Republican spending bill, which President Donald Trump recently signed into law, kills tax credits that help communities turn idle toxic sites such as brownfields and abandoned mines into sources of clean energy and revenue.

Alia Hidayat, Dylan Nezaj

With Americans Facing Utility Bill Increases This Year, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Threatens To Drive Costs Even Higher Article
A utility lineman works to restore service in Perry, Florida

With Americans Facing Utility Bill Increases This Year, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Threatens To Drive Costs Even Higher

Across the country, nearly 60 electric and gas utilities are hiking or trying to hike utility bills this year, totaling nearly $38.3 billion for 56.7 million electric customers and $3.5 billion for 26 million natural gas customers; if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes, these bills will spike even higher.

LNG Projects Are a Bad Deal for Germans and Americans Report
Workers watch the sun set behind an LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven.

LNG Projects Are a Bad Deal for Germans and Americans

Subsidizing fossil gas, especially long-term contracts for liquefied natural gas (LNG), undermines Germany’s energy independence, national security, public health, and climate goals, while also raising energy prices and pollution for Americans. On the other hand, accelerating the deployment of affordable and cleaner technologies across sectors could lower costs and pollution.

The Trump Administration’s Assault on Environmental Protections Will Give Polluters a Free Pass While Causing Millions of Asthma Attacks Report
Cars sit in traffic as the sun sets behind a veil of smog.

The Trump Administration’s Assault on Environmental Protections Will Give Polluters a Free Pass While Causing Millions of Asthma Attacks

The Trump administration’s plan to weaken clean air protections could cause more than 10,000 asthma attacks per day while cutting lifesaving asthma prevention programs and as House Republicans seek to slash pollution reduction efforts, clean technology investments, and essential health care coverage—all to give tax breaks to billionaires.

House Republicans Are Giving Up on U.S. Manufacturing Article
Electric vehicles are seen on the assembly line.

House Republicans Are Giving Up on U.S. Manufacturing

Claims from congressional Republicans and the Trump administration that supporting domestic manufacturing is a priority are completely undercut by their efforts to strip incentives and kill successful programs.

Mike Williams, Leo Banks

The House Republican Plan To Increase Gas and Electricity Prices Article

The House Republican Plan To Increase Gas and Electricity Prices

Terminating almost all federal clean energy investments will increase electricity rates and raise the price of gasoline by between 25 cents and 37 cents per gallon, costing households more than $400 billion on energy over the next decade.

Trevor Higgins

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Related Priorities

Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice
Issue

Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice

We pursue climate action that meets the crisis’s urgency, creates good-quality jobs, benefits disadvantaged communities, and restores U.S. credibility on the global stage.

Strengthening Health
Issue

Strengthening Health

We work to strengthen public health systems and improve health care coverage, access, and affordability.

Building an Economy for All
Issue

Building an Economy for All

Economic growth must be built on the foundation of a strong and secure middle class so that all Americans benefit from growth.

Advancing Racial Equity and Justice
Issue

Advancing Racial Equity and Justice

We apply a racial equity lens in developing and advancing policies that aim to root out entrenched systemic racism to ensure everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

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