Today, President Biden signed a series of Executive Orders addressing the climate change crisis both domestically and worldwide through strategies that center job creation, clean energy, equity and justice, modern infrastructure, and science. Among other things, the Executive Orders:

• Establish the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy
• Establish a National Climate Task Force to include 21 federal agencies and departments for a whole-of-government approach to climate change
• Direct federal agencies to procure carbon-free electricity and zero-emissions vehicles, and requires these purchases to be Made in America to create jobs
• Catalyze job creation through federal infrastructure investment to reduce emissions and increase resilience
• Establish an Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization
• Formalize the Administration's commitment to make environmental justice part of the mission of every agency and sets a goal of delivering 40% of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities
• Directs agencies to make evidence-based decisions guided by best available science and data.

In response to these Orders, Mayor Rhodes-Conway made the following statement:

“I applaud President Biden’s leadership on the truly critical issue of climate change today, and particularly the focus on jobs, clean energy, and environmental justice. We finally have the partner at the federal level that we so desperately need to improve our health, protect our planet, and transform our economy. Thank you for making it clear that climate action is not in conflict with the economy, but rather is focused on building the types of communities we want.

Here in Madison, we are also committed to a ‘whole of government’ approach to climate change. We are working hard to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and have already installed one megawatt of solar PV on City-owned buildings, while training apprentices via our Green Power program. Our Fleet Service is quickly transitioning our vehicles to renewable fuels, including biofuels, hybrids, electric vehicles, and solar charging stations. We are investing in electric bus rapid transit, and helping residents and businesses in our community install solar. At the same time, we are working to increase our resilience to climate-change driven flooding.

Cities have been at the forefront of this work for years, but to really impact our greenhouse gas emissions, we need federal action. I look forward to working with the Administration to reach these ambitious and necessary goals.”