2020 presidential candidates on energy and environmental issues
This page includes statements from the 2020 presidential candidates on energy and environmental issues. These statements were compiled from each candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and interviews. Click the following links for policy statements about related issues: climate change and the Green New Deal.
The candidates featured on this page are the 2020 presidential nominees from the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Green parties.
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Howie Hawkins
Jo Jorgensen
Energy and environmental issues
Republican candidates
Donald Trump
Donald Trump's campaign website says that "President Trump has approved the infrastructure and provided the resources needed to unleash oil and gas production in the U.S. The administration approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, supporting an estimated total of 42,000 jobs and $2 billion in wages. President Trump rescinded President Obama’s costly Clean Power Plan and instead has proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. In addition to the Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration has rescinded many costly Obama-Era regulations." [source, as of 2020-06-22]
Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford's campaign website says, "I’ve seen first hand rising sea levels over the course of my life at our family farm in the low country of South Carolina. In areas where pine trees once stood, there are now salt flats. On this issue, the scientific consensus fits with what I’ve seen firsthand, and that is that it's real. I think it's important to listen to what the scientific community has said here. After all, It makes no sense to say that one believes in the modern advances of science and the way they can cure and heal the human body, but then discount what science says in other areas of our lives. The problem in my view has not been in whether or not it may be real, but in how we do something about it. I do not believe in things like the Kyoto Protocol, that would tie America and Western Europe to one standard, but hold China and India to a completely different standard, even though the overwhelming growth of new emissions will come these two places." [source, as of 2019-09-10]
Joe Walsh
In an interview on PBS, Joe Walsh said, "The first big step, Judy, is my party, the Republican Party, has to acknowledge it's an issue, it's a problem. This president won't. And, in fact, I don't even think he understands the issue. So it would be an issue, I think, the Republican Party needs to get on board with and lead on. The first step is for a Republican president to acknowledge it's a problem, man is contributing to the problem. And then let's bring all the important people together, including business and businesses, and figure out things that need to be done. But before we do anything to impact the American economy, we have got — we have got to make sure we have got the accurate data." [source, as of 2019-08-27]
Bill Weld
Bill Weld said in a speech, "Whether as protection of a fragile ecosystem or as stewardship of God’s creation, there is a pressing need to act on climate change. The United States must rejoin the Paris climate accords, and adopt targets consonant with those of other industrialized nations. We must protect our economy, yes, but we must also recognize that increased natural disasters and unfamiliar weather patterns threaten to strip the snow from our White Mountains, and to melt all the mountain glaciers worldwide upon which hundreds of millions of people depend for their only source of water. Europe has its cathedrals and monuments; we have our mountains, canyons, valleys, rivers and streams – and we had damn well better take care of them. Our borders are safe in New Hampshire, but it is not a stretch to say that if climate change is not addressed, our coastlines and those of all other countries will over time be obliterated by storm surge and the melting of the polar ice cap. Yet climate skeptics claim that they are conservative!" [source, as of 2019-02-15]
Democratic candidates
Joe Biden
Joe Biden's campaign website lists the following key elements of his clean energy plan: "Build a modern infrastructure. Position the U.S. auto industry to win the 21st century with technology invented in America. Achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035. Make dramatic investments in energy efficiency in buildings, including completing 4 million retrofits and building 1.5 million new affordable homes. Pursue a historic investment in clean energy innovation. Advance sustainable agriculture and conservation. Secure environmental justice and equitable economy opportunity." [source, as of 2020-08-03]
Michael Bloomberg
Mike Bloomberg's campaign website says, "Mike Bloomberg is one of America’s leading climate activists, and plans to put an unprecedented focus on climate in the general election, and make climate one of his top priorities as president. Mike’s climate agenda will include both international and domestic initiatives. Highlights of his international climate initiatives include: 1. Immediately re-join the Paris Agreement and meet the targets science tells us. 2. Make climate change a top priority of U.S. foreign policy, and intensify U.S. and international actions to stop the expansion of coal and otherwise lower emissions. 3. Protect national security, and ensure the safety of the world’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change." [source, as of 2019-12-11]
Cory Booker
Cory Booker's campaign website says, "The time to act is now for a 100% clean energy economy, millions of good-paying jobs, and a guaranteed right to clean air, water, and soil for all Americans. Cory’s plan will: Make the most sweeping investment to advance environmental justice, because we can’t move forward into a clean energy economy without righting the wrongs of decades of pollution and corporate greed in marginalized communities, and without an informed commitment to not repeating these wrongs. Directly invest over $3 trillion dollars by 2030 to fund the transition to a 100% carbon-neutral economy by no later than 2045 and spurring economic activity, creating millions of jobs where they are needed most, and empowering communities to have control and ownership over their energy systems and local environments. Accelerate the end of fossil fuels by immediately eliminating all fossil fuel subsidies, barring all new fossil fuel leases, phasing out fracking, and instituting a carbon fee and progressive climate dividend — achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. Supercharge innovation and a clean energy workforce through a $400 billion community-based investment in every corner of the country in the basic research, applied research, and commercialization of clean energy technologies and solutions for hard-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy. Unleash natural climate solutions through massive reforestation and coastal wetlands restoration. Invest over $100 billion by 2030 through existing USDA conservation programs to make farms more climate resilient and enable our farmers and ranchers to be part of the climate change solution. Lead the world toward ambitious and binding emissions commitments. Center people and communities in all of the above, through strong labor standards, funding disaster relief and preparedness, incentivizing distributed ownership of renewable technologies to ensure its benefits are widely enjoyed, engaging with communities to make their own energy and environmental choices, and ensuring fairness for workers and communities."
The website lists Booker's energy and environment-related priorities, including: "Rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. Work to implement a Green New Deal. Put a moratorium on drilling on our public lands. Stop polluting companies from evading responsibility for environmental cleanups. Ban fracking. Reinstate and expand the crude oil export ban. Prohibit construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure when cost competitive clean energy alternatives are available. End all federal subsidies for fossil fuel production." [source, as of 2019-09-11]
Pete Buttigieg
Pete Buttigieg's campaign website says, "My plan has three pillars: Build a Clean Economy. The U.S. must invest in talent and enterprise here at home to unlock new technology and bring together partners to reduce emissions across the electricity, transportation, industrial, and agricultural sectors. We must create clean energy jobs, strengthen our rural communities, and protect America’s natural resources. Our intention is to promote a clean and prosperous future for ourselves and our children and to prioritize justice and inclusion as we embrace these changes. Invest in Resilience. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, whether it’s farmers affected by floods and shorter planting seasons or communities managing storm surges or devastating forest fires. Our plan makes our cities and states more resilient by prioritizing our communities and focusing on infrastructure and disaster preparedness. Demonstrate Leadership. Combating climate change will require American leadership to bring our nation together and make the fight for a cleaner future a global priority. In doing so, we can also restore America’s badly damaged credibility by leading the world in rising to this challenge while practicing what we preach at home." [source, as of 2019-09-11]
Julián Castro
Julián Castro's campaign website says, "Together, we will direct $10 trillion in federal, state, local, and private investments over the next decade to create ten million good paying jobs, transition away from fossil fuels, build a 100 percent clean-energy economy, and lead the world in the 21st century. Our vision begins with an ambitious and achievable timeline. That’s why my first executive action, will be to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords and rally the international community to go further, achieving worldwide net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To reach that global target, the United States will achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 and at least a 50 percent reduction by 2030. We will immediately stop the exploration and extraction of fossil fuels on public lands and end all taxpayer subsidies of fossil fuel production. Communities of color and low income communities are more likely to live next to polluters and breathe polluted air. When I’m president, environmental justice will be a top priority." [source, as of 2019-09-11]
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard's campaign website says, "As president, I’ll tackle climate change by ending subsidies to big fossil fuel and agribusiness corporations, ban offshore drilling, harness innovation to create jobs in renewable energy, provide better opportunities for our farmers, and ensure every American has clean air and water. We need to invest in 100% renewable and safe energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal. I also support a ban on fracking, ending the $26 billion/year in fossil fuel subsidies, as well as all subsidies or waivers to the nuclear power industry, which should itself be completely responsible for paying for its own insurance and paying the long term cost for safe storage of nuclear waste over centuries. I will also work to provide other incentives for a renewable energy economy.” [source, as of 2019-09-26]
Kamala D. Harris
Kamala Harris' campaign website says, "My plan — a Climate Plan For the People — is about putting people first, justice for communities that have been harmed and accountability for those responsible. My plan sets out a bold target to exceed the Paris Agreement climate goals and achieve a clean economy by 2045, investing $10 trillion in public and private funding to meet the initial 10-year mobilization necessary to stave off the worst climate impacts. It modernizes our transportation, energy, and water infrastructure. It accelerates the spread of electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines. And it makes big investments in battery storage, climate-smart agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and the innovative technologies that will build our carbon-free future. By 2030, we will run on 100 percent carbon-neutral electricity, all new buses, heavy-duty vehicles, and vehicle fleets will be zero-emission. All new buildings will be carbon-neutral. We will protect 30 percent of our lands and oceans. We will transition our public lands from producing the fossil fuels that represent 24 percent of national emissions to carbon sinks. And to power this transformation to a clean economy, we will empower the American workforce and create millions of good jobs." [source, as of 2019-09-11]
Amy Klobuchar
The Klobuchar campaign wrote in a Medium post, "The climate crisis isn’t happening in 100 years — it’s happening now. Starting on day one of her administration, Senator Klobuchar will take aggressive executive action to confront the climate crisis. Specifically, in the first 100 days of her administration Senator Klobuchar will: Get the United States back in the Paris International Climate Agreement on day one. Restore the Clean Power Plan. Bring back the fuel-economy standards. Introduce sweeping legislation that will put our country on the path to 100% net zero emissions by 2050. End the Trump Administration’s censoring of climate science. Set ambitious goals to reduce the carbon footprint of the federal government. Reinstate the National Climate Assessment Advisory Committee to immediately start addressing the climate crisis." [source, as of 2019-09-01]
Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke's campaign website says,"Beto’s plan includes the world’s largest-ever climate change investment in infrastructure, innovation, and in our people and communities; creates an enforceable standard that guarantees that we reach net-zero emissions by 2050—and get halfway there by 2030; and defends the communities preparing for and fighting against extreme weather."
Some of the proposals listed on O'Rourke's website include: "Re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement and lead negotiations for a more ambitious global plan by 2030. Cut methane emissions from existing sources in the oil and natural gas industry. Leverage $500 billion to decarbonize across all sectors, create unprecedented access to technologies for farmers and ranchers to profit from reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and set a carbon budget for federal lands to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. Mobilize $5 trillion to combat climate change, with significant investments in infrastructure, innovation, and our people and communities. Rigorously measure progress, scaling what works and scrapping what doesn’t. Enforce our laws to hold polluters accountable. Implement a ten-fold increase on spending for pre-disaster mitigation grants. Invest $1.2 trillion in the people and communities impacted by the effects of climate change." [source, as of 2019-08-27]
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders says the climate crisis is "the single greatest challenge facing our country" and supports implementing the Green New Deal.
Sanders' campaign website states the following priorities: "Reaching 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by no later than 2030 and complete decarbonization by 2050 at latest. Ending unemployment by creating 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis. Directly invest an historic $16.3 trillion public investment toward these efforts. A just transition for workers. Declaring climate change a national emergency. Saving American families money by weatherizing homes and lowering energy bills, building affordable and high-quality, modern public transportation, providing grants and trade-in programs for families and small businesses to purchase high-efficiency electric vehicles, and rebuilding our inefficient and crumbling infrastructure, including deploying universal, affordable high-speed internet. Supporting small family farms by investing in ecologically regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Justice for frontline communities. Commit to reducing emissions throughout the world. Meeting and exceeding our fair share of global emissions reductions. Making massive investments in research and development. Expanding the climate justice movement. Investing in conservation and public lands to heal our soils, forests, and prairie lands. This plan will pay for itself over 15 years. We will pay for the massive investment we need to reverse the climate crisis by: Making the fossil fuel industry pay for their pollution, through litigation, fees, and taxes, and eliminating federal fossil fuel subsidies. Generating revenue from the wholesale of energy produced by the regional Power Marketing Authorities. Scaling back military spending on maintaining global oil dependence. Collecting new income tax revenue from the 20 million new jobs created by the plan. Reduced need for federal and state safety net spending due to the creation of millions of good-paying, unionized jobs. Making the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share." [source, as of 2019-08-23]
Thomas Steyer
Tom Steyer's campaign website says, "As president, Tom will declare the climate crisis a national emergency on his first day in office, and will begin implementing his Justice-Centered Climate Plan, with or without Congress. He is prepared to use the emergency powers of the presidency to take on the climate crisis, protect the American people, redouble our commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement, and establish our global leadership as we build a safer, more sustainable world. Tom’s five-pillar framework for the Justice-Centered Climate Plan addresses the urgency and global nature of the climate crisis while creating millions of good jobs, providing everyone in the U.S. with clean air and water, ensuring an inclusive process for workers transitioning from fossil fuel industries, and prioritizing justice for communities that have been treated as environmental dumping grounds for too long. The Justice-Centered Climate plan will get the U.S. back on track to be a global leader in climate change solutions. Tom will lead us in moving from an extraction economy — where fossil fuel companies strip value from people and communities — to a regenerative economy, where we invest in people and places for the long term."
He lists the following policy priorities: "Justice-Based Pollution Reduction Targets and Actions. Community-Led Civilian Climate Corps. A Regenerative Economy. Climate-Smart Infrastructure. A Resilient Disaster Plan to Restore America’s Global Leadership." [source, as of 2019-09-10]
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren wrote in a Medium post, "The world must limit warming to below 1.5° C to avoid the most catastrophic outcomes, cutting carbon pollution roughly in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As the world’s largest historical carbon polluter, the United States has a special responsibility to lead the way. That’s why I’m an original supporter of the Green New Deal, which challenges us to go above and beyond — to launch a ten-year mobilization through 2030 to achieve net-zero domestic greenhouse gas emissions as fast as possible. My Green Apollo plan to invest $400 billion over ten years in clean energy R&D will spur innovation and help us to develop the technology we need to go the final mile. Critically, I will condition these R&D investments on any resulting manufacturing taking place right here in America, to create good middle-class jobs. My Green Manufacturing plan to invest $1.5 trillion over ten years in federal procurement of American-made clean energy products will fund the transition for federal, state, and local governments. My plan for public lands makes an unprecedented commitment to generate 10% of our overall electricity needs from renewable sources offshore or on public lands. And my Green Marshall Plan will commit $100 billion to support the export of American-made clean energy products so that we can help other countries cut their emissions too." [source, as of 2019-09-03]
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "Climate change is an existential threat to humanity and our way of life. It should be a top priority of the federal government to implement policies to control anthropogenic climate change while working with other governments to implement these policies throughout the world. It’s important to regulate fossil fuels, both to control climate change and to improve the health of the average American. Renewable energy must be invested in, not only as a means of moderating climate change but also to drive economic growth."
Yang's website lists the following proposals: "Invest heavily in carbon capture and geoengineering technologies designed to reverse the damage already done to the environment through a new Global Geoengineering Institute and invite international participation. Invest in any idea that has the potential to reverse the damage done to the environment, for example cloud-seeding technology to increase the atmosphere’s reflectivity. End the current tax benefits and cuts given to fossil fuel companies which give them an unwarranted competitive advantage over alternative energy sources. Institute a tax on emissions that will fund health care initiatives and research for respiratory diseases that are a direct result of these emissions. Empower and appoint an action-oriented leader of the EPA and direct the EPA to regulate carbon emissions. Direct the EPA to survey the states and private organizations to collate all programs designed to promote renewable energy adoption. Direct the EPA to coordinate with state and local governments to measure the impact of different policies on effecting positive impacts in the area of renewables adoption. Prioritize sustainable infrastructure and urban development to take advantage of new materials and designs." [source, as of 2019-08-28]
Green candidates
Howie Hawkins
Howie Hawkins' campaign website says, "We will never reverse pending planetary environmental collapse as long as we have a capitalist economy where competition for profits drives the blind, relentless growth that is consuming the environment, heating up the planet, and destroying ecological foundations of human civilization." [source, as of 2020-07-09]
Libertarian candidates
Jo Jorgensen
Jo Jorgensen's campaign website says, "I will work to remove government barriers to replacing coal-burning and oil-burning power plants in the United States with safe, non-polluting, high-tech nuclear power plants – and allowing off-grid use of solar power. Worldwide, I believe we need to consider all scientific & economic knowledge to care for our environment, not cherry-pick data to support a pre-determined outcome. Most pollution is generated in developing countries, so reducing pollution worldwide requires cost-efficient zero emission energy sources like nuclear.” [source, as of 2020-07-28]
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