Task Force kicked off Earth Week by highlighting historic progress on climate
Today, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy held the eleventh meeting of the National Climate Task Force to launch a week of Administration actions leading up to Earth Day that build on President Biden's historic progress to tackle the climate crisis and reduce emissions across every sector of the economy - furthering the President's efforts to lower costs for families, advance environmental justice, and build an equitable clean energy future.
The Task Force received a briefing from Dr. Kate Calvin, NASA Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor and lead author on the recently-published IPCC Report on Climate Mitigation. The Task Force agreed that the findings are clear and compelling - the world must accelerate climate action and we have the tools to fight the climate crisis in every part of the economy. The Task Force discussed further how the Administration's efforts were aligned with the IPCC's findings - focused on tackling emissions sector-by-sector by deploying record amounts of clean energy; electrifying our cars, trucks, and buses; decarbonizing industrial processes; and phasing down super-polluting HFCs.
Since last Earth Day 2021, the Biden Administration has turbocharged the American offshore wind industry, jumpstarted our electric transportation future, helped weatherize homes to save families money, enlisted nature in the fight against climate change, and more - all while advancing environmental justice and creating good-paying, union jobs. The National Climate Task Force microsite has been updated to reflect these Administration accomplishments and continued climate action.
Task Force members also discussed the importance of meeting Americans where they are and ensuring the benefits of deploying clean energy reach every community and corner of the country. Energy Secretary Granholm reiterated the President's commitment to minimizing pain at the pump caused by President Putin's unprovoked war against Ukraine, and Infrastructure Coordinator Landrieu emphasized the importance of helping all communities - particularly rural and disadvantaged - realize the benefits of the President's historic infrastructure investments.
As outlined by President Biden's January 27 Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the Task Force is chaired by the National Climate Advisor and includes Cabinet-level leaders from more than 25 federal agencies to mobilize the Biden-Harris Administration's implementation of a whole-of-government approach.
Task Force membership is comprised of the following government officials:
- National Climate Advisor (Chair)
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Defense
- Attorney General
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Administrator of General Services
- CEO of AmeriCorps
- Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Administrator of the Small Business Administration
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
- Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
- Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
- Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
