On day one as president, Tom will declare the climate crisis a national emergency. This means he will take immediate action to tackle the climate crisis and begin investing in local community plans to address the issue.
A community-led plan
for climate justice
Tom has long been a champion for grassroots power — the idea that communities can be forces of change for themselves. And those small changes within our communities ripple out and affect who we are as a nation. Change is already happening because community leaders are taking action — that’s why Tom put them at the heart of his Justice-Centered Climate Plan.
Under Tom’s Justice-Centered Climate Plan, each community will identify what they need most where they live, and his administration will issue $250 billion in new bonds to invest those community-determined projects. This investment will mobilize hundreds of billions more in order to support projects such as sustainable housing and building upgrades, improved sewer and stormwater systems, clean energy generation and storage, urban greening, and clean transportation systems in the places they are needed most.
Tom and the People vs. Dirty Energy
How Tom will work with the people to save our planet
Let the people lead
The people who know best what their community needs are already living there. Tom’s administration will start by making major investments to existing networks of organizers and experts who’ve been doing the work, and he will ensure communities have the tools, training, and dedicated resources they need. He will also build strong systems within the government to listen, respond, and act on recommendations from community voices.
Invest in community self-determination
In too many low-income communities and communities of color, people are suffering from intentional pollution — dirty air, contaminated water, and toxic waste from fossil fuel plants. Cleaning up our country starts with holding corporations accountable for the environmental injustices they’ve caused, but it also starts with realistic goals and targets. Residents will have the right to self-determination as investments are made in their communities, and will be given the tools and resources to coordinate among faith-based groups, labor unions, health care institutions, and local organizations to support the overall vision for the community.
Mobilize federal resources to support local leaders
In Tom’s administration, a new cabinet-level officer will coordinate local, state, and federal efforts to meet our climate targets. That officer will establish a high-level task force of mayors, governors, tribal leaders, and community representatives to develop an inclusive and transparent community-led process for ending environmental injustice. Tom will also install staff in every federal agency to coordinate climate efforts between agencies and with communities, and to provide technical support to navigate the process. This will not only help our climate relief efforts here at home, this coalition will inform our international climate commitments as well.
Create millions of jobs
As president, Tom’s Justice-Centered Climate Plan will create 46 million jobs over 10 years. He will also call on Congress to fully fund the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps to help implement local projects and plans. This will create 1 million jobs at multiple skill and educational levels, and get communities directly involved in their own preservation.
Build climate-smart projects and programs
With Tom in the White House, he will dedicate $2 trillion of public investment to mobilize over $6 trillion total for long-overdue infrastructure projects, including projects for advancing clean energy, climate resilience, and improving public lands. He will also leverage $250 billion towards sustainable housing and building upgrades, improved sewer and stormwater systems, clean energy, and clean transportation systems. Building these projects will create millions of jobs and get us on the path to a sustainable future for all.