Brooklyn NY — 350.org Strategy and Communications Director, Jamie Henn, issued the following statement in response to the release of the Obama administration’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the UN Climate Talks.
“This is a big commitment for the United States, but on its own the current offer clearly isn’t enough to keep global warming below 2°C, let alone 1.5°C. The only way meet that target is to keep fossil fuels in the ground–starting with a rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. President Obama can’t claim to be serious about reducing emissions if he’s also opening up major new fossil fuel development.
The administration must also find more ways to move money away from the problem and into solutions. That includes cutting fossil fuel subsidies, redirecting international finance away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, and encouraging the business sector to take action.
There is clear momentum building for climate action. Divestment campaigns have helped strip away the social license of the fossil fuel industry, hundreds of thousands are marching in the streets, and clear climate impacts are putting deniers on the defensive. The train to a clean energy future has left the station, the question is whether a Paris agreement will speed up the journey.”
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