Skip to Main Content

We reject the injustice of the fossil fuel economy

Fossil fuels directly harm our communities – especially Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other communities of color, as well as low-wealth communities, all of whom are more likely to be on the frontlines of pollution and environmental disaster.

Historic investments in renewable energy can help speed the transition to a just clean energy system. But at a time when oil and gas companies hold enormous economic and political power to protect their interests, investments and tax credits aren’t enough. We need to address the leading cause of the climate crisis and environmental injustices: fossil fuels.

Tell Biden to act in line with justice and end the era of fossil fuels.

Tell Biden to declare a climate emergency!

“Of all of the shared problems we face, climate change is the greatest and potentially existential for all nations.” White House National Security Strategy, October 2022

 

Officially declaring the climate crisis a national emergency would unlock the tools needed to steer us away from fossil-fueled climate catastrophe toward a sustainable, just future. Biden needs to hear from you. Write to the White House now.

Learn what Biden can do

The climate emergency is an existential threat to people and the planet. Every public official must act to protect the public from climate chaos. As our president, Biden has the biggest role of all in stopping fossil fuels.

Here’s what Biden must do:

  1. Restrict fossil fuel exports and investments in fossil fuels abroad.

    Biden can use national climate emergency powers to immediately reinstate the crude oil export ban. Restoring the ban would be the climate equivalent of shuttering up to 42 coal plants. By declaring a climate emergency, the president can also halt exports of coal and petroleum products that are the primary drivers of climate emergency, threatening U.S. security and its economy. He can also halt the hundreds of billions of private dollars that fund coal, oil, and gas projects abroad.

    Invest in renewables at home.

    With national climate emergency powers, Biden can direct disaster relief funds toward building back with more resilient distributed renewable energy, prioritizing the frontline communities hit hardest by climate disasters, and marshal companies to fast-track renewable transportation and clean power generation, creating millions of high-quality union jobs. 

  2. Stop approvals for fossil fuel projects.

    Biden can issue an Executive Order to stop the approval of any new fossil fuel infrastructure projects – including but not limited to pipelines, import and export terminals, storage facilities, refineries, and petrochemical plants – and instruct federal agencies to deny all permits and approvals for fossil fuel infrastructure consistent with federal law. Biden can issue an Executive Order finding that natural gas exports are not in the public interest due to their climate harm, and direct the Department of Energy to stop approving new applications for export terminals. He can also end the use of nationwide permits, which are used to expedite the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines. 

    Phase out production on public lands and waters.

    Biden promised on the campaign trail that there would be no more drilling on federal lands and waters. He can fulfill that promise by using his existing powers to implement a steady and managed decline of the production of oil and gas on public lands and waters. Additionally, after declaring a national climate emergency, the president can suspend operations of all offshore leases. This would stop extraction in the more than 11 million acres of federal waters currently subject to active oil and gas leases and complement ordinary executive powers for offshore oil and gas extraction.

  3. With his ordinary presidential powers, Biden can direct the Environmental Protection Agency to establish national limits for greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, requiring states to enforce them. Biden can also use his executive authority to direct the EPA to set steep reductions in climate pollution from cars and trucks, as well as airplanes, ships, and trains.

Dive deeper into the solution

Biden has the power to lead us off fossil fuels.

Biden has called climate change an “existential threat.” But he’s failed to act on the primary driver: fossil fuels.

He has a wide range of presidential powers – separate from what Congress can do – to protect the future of life on EarthUsing both traditional presidential powers and emergency powers, Biden can live up to his promise to address the climate crisis and deliver enormous benefits for the environment, wildlife, communities, and future generations.

Learn how Biden can use his full powers to tackle the climate emergency, end fossil fuels, and build a renewable and just energy future.

Read More

Join the Movement!

The movement to demand that Biden uses his existing presidential and emergency powers to address the climate crisis is growing. Over 1,200 national, regional, and local organizations representing millions of supporters are working together towards the common goal of ending the era of fossil fuels through the national People vs Fossil Fuels coalition – through the use of policy advocacy, communications and media outreach, and grassroots organizing.

Get Involved

About Us

As the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute and Energy Justice Program, we wage innovative legal and grassroots campaigns to protect people, wildlife and ecosystems from climate change and the dirty and dangerous fossil fuel industry. We work to eliminate greenhouse pollution and speed the just transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy.

Support Our Work