In mid-June, U.S. House Democrats released a comprehensive 538-page climate crisis action plan. The goal of the plan is to bring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. The plan is built on the following 12 pillars:
- Invest in Infrastructure to Build a Just, Equitable, and Resilient Clean Energy Economy
- Drive Innovation and Deployment of Clean Energy and Deep Decarbonization Technologies
- Transform U.S. Industry and Expand Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy and Zero-Emission Technologies
- Break Down Barriers for Clean Energy Technologies
- Invest in America’s Workers and Build a Fairer Economy
- Invest in Disproportionately Exposed Communities to Cut Pollution and Advance Environmental Justice
- Improve Public Health and Manage Climate Risks to Health Infrastructure
- Invest in American Agriculture for Climate Solutions
- Make U.S. Communities More Resilient to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Protect and Restore America’s Lands, Waters, Ocean, and Wildlife
- Confront Climate Risks to America’s National Security and Restore America’s Leadership on the International Stage
- Strengthen America’s Core Institutions to Facilitate Climate Action
More specifically, from the perspective of water policy, the plan calls for “Water infrastructure resilience” standards to provide clean water and mitigate flooding, droughts and erosion. The plan also calls for the reduction of water pollution through the safe disposal of hazardous wastes from the oil and gas industry, and a recommendation to protect “at least 30% of all U.S. lands and ocean areas by 2030.”
To view the plan in its entirety, click here. To read more about the development and implementation of the plan click here and here.