President Biden received endorsements from prominent environmental organizations on Wednesday.
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the Sierra Club, NextGen PAC, and the Natural Resources Defense Council jointly endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for re-election.
This is the first time these four groups have issued a presidential endorsement together, and the announcement took place during the League of Conservation Voters Capital Dinner.
Speaking at the dinner, Biden highlighted his environmental achievements, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $369 billion towards climate and energy-related spending.
He also mentioned his efforts in monument designations and assisting communities disproportionately affected by pollution. However, he acknowledged that more work needs to be done, stating, “We made a lot of progress but there’s so much more to do.”
Biden emphasized that climate change is the “only truly existential threat” that future generations will face. He also aimed to differentiate himself from the Republican Party, which has attempted to repeal renewable energy tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Biden accused Republicans of wanting to replace climate provisions in the act with favors for the fossil fuel industry and criticized them for using the debt limit as leverage.
During his speech, Biden took a dig at China, referring to their Belt and Road initiative as a “death and destruction initiative.”
In a written statement, the endorsing organizations praised the Biden administration for its efforts in addressing the climate crisis and environmental injustice, highlighting accomplishments like rejoining the Paris climate agreement and setting ambitious targets for pollution reduction, carbon-free electricity, carbon neutrality, and equitable climate investments.
While the Biden administration has generally pursued climate change mitigation and reversed previous environmental rollbacks, some decisions, like the approval of the Willow oil project in Alaska, have drawn criticism from environmentalists.
At the event, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also received a lifetime achievement award from the League of Conservation Voters.