Trump’s Marching Orders for Secretary of State on Climate: Abandon Ship

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The confirmation hearing for President-elect Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Senator Marco Rubio, was held today.

A statement follows from Jake Schmidt, Senior Strategic Director, International Climate, at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“While the fires in Los Angeles remind us of the painful costs of the growing climate crisis—Trump is preparing to abandon the global effort to fight back. 

“Under Trump’s administration, we know what Senator Rubio’s marching orders will be on climate: Abandon ship. It’s a familiar playbook for Rubio—who has chronically ignored, if not inflamed, the problem while representing the people of Florida.

“Project 2025 reveals that Trump intends to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, again—or worse, remove Americans’ seat at the table all together.

“But the majority of Americans support clean energy and climate action—and the marketplace is moving rapidly in that direction too. That’s not only because more and more people are suffering the impacts of this crisis—but also reaping the benefits of the solutions: lower bills, more jobs, healthier people, and safer communities. 

“A strong Secretary of State must recognize that standing up to powerful polluters and staying in the global climate fight is a critical matter of economic and national security for America. In the face of this international challenge, there is also a global opportunity before us to lead the inevitable transition to the clean energy economy we need to confront the climate crisis. 

“The question is whether the United States will be a leader in that transition to a better future—or cede the economic opportunity to other countries. And whether we can move fast enough to avert a future of ever-increasing economic devastation, pain, death, and destruction.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.