America Owes Gina McCarthy a Debt of Gratitude for her Climate Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gina McCarthy, President Biden’s top advisor on domestic climate change, is set to step down this week. Her role as National Climate Advisor was the latest in an exceptional career advocating for environmental progress, public health protections and climate action. She also previously served as President and CEO of NRDC. Her departure follows the recent signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, representing the most consequential climate action in American history.

Following is a statement from Manish Bapna, President and CEO of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Gina has been a giant in the fight against climate change for decades. 

“Under her leadership, the Biden administration has ended the nation’s dismal track record of climate inaction and finds itself poised to jumpstart a cleaner, healthier, more equitable future. The nation owes her a debt of gratitude for her strong leadership and unwavering commitment to confronting the existential challenge of our time.

“Gina hands off the reins at a key moment, as the administration begins moving forward on implementation of the new climate and bipartisan infrastructure laws. And she leaves us in good hands: John Podesta and Ali Zaidi are well-positioned to build on the progress made in the first two years of this administration. That will be more critical than ever, as millions nationwide continue to be hit by disaster after disaster, and the window of opportunity to avoid catastrophic impacts closes quickly. We look forward to working together to ensure we seize the momentum and rise to meet the moment.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.