President Biden campaigned and won on the most ambitious climate agenda in our nation’s history. But if the federal fossil fuel program continues on its current trajectory, it will be impossible to meet his climate and environmental justice goals. While industry has seized on the global energy crisis as an excuse to double down on fossil fuels, the fact is that more leasing will do nothing to address high gas prices for the American people. Gutting our public lands even further will only worsen the climate crisis and perpetuate our dependence on fossil fuels—and the high prices that inevitably come with them.
This paper, co-authored by Earthjustice and Evergreen Action, lays out a policy roadmap for how the Biden administration can align its federal fossil fuel development decisions with the president’s climate and environmental justice commitments.
- Swiftly and legally phase out new federal fossil fuel leasing on public lands and waters, including oil, gas, and coal.
- Limit federal fossil fuel production from existing leases to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement and President Biden’s climate and environmental justice commitments.
- Lead a just transition away from a fossil-fueled economy for communities historically and currently impacted by federal fossil fuel leasing, while investing in a just and inclusive clean energy future.
2022 must be a year of transformative climate and environmental justice action. Throughout the remainder of this year and his presidential term, the Biden administration must do everything in its power to phase out new fossil fuel development on America’s public lands and offshore waters. At the same time, the Biden administration has clear authority to enact sweeping executive action to limit existing onshore and offshore federal oil and gas production.
The opportunities are clear. President Biden must take action now to ensure that America’s public lands and waters are part of the solution on climate, not driving the problem.