Although President Joe Biden already has cemented an unmatched legacy of climate change action, Vice President Kamala Harris raised the bar the moment that she entered the presidential race on July 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who care about the climate are now considering new possibilities based on Harris\u2019 past actions: What would she do to hold Big Oil accountable? How could she push climate policy further, especially to address historic injustice? Would she be able to advance international cooperation, building on the progress made in her travels to Africa and Asia as vice president?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new candidate has invigorated the climate movement\u2014with some groups that have never before endorsed presidential candidates declaring support for Harris soon after Biden passed her the torch. They point to her history as a former California attorney general who took on oil companies, the environmental justice work she has focused on in the Biden administration and the historic nature of her candidacy as a woman of color. Her appeal only increased when she selected her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who implemented a $2 billion climate spending program in the state and signed a law to make the state carbon-free by 2040. <\/p>\n\n\n\n