WASHINGTON, D.C. — Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, today released the following statement about the Inflation Reduction Act:
“The Inflation Reduction Act is more of an energy bill than a climate bill. It was shaped primarily by what oil executives would tolerate rather than what frontline communities deserve, or what science tells us is necessary to fully tackle the climate crisis.
“The legislation takes historic, long overdue, and important steps to speed the transition to clean energy, but it also locks in future climate damages by prolonging fossil fuel infrastructure that will continue to push us toward climate tipping points and harm the most vulnerable. It provides precious little to help communities pay for the infrastructure they need to be more resilient against the climate damages the fossil fuel industry has already and knowingly caused.
“The long shadow of Big Oil’s climate deception hangs over this legislation. The reason it has taken Congress decades to pass even this modest bill is because the fossil fuel industry continues to wage a relentless campaign of disinformation, deception, and dark money to block climate progress and keep the nation hooked on its products. Despite record-breaking heat waves, floods, wildfires, and droughts, the best climate bill that Congress could pass mandates new fossil fuel leases and subsidies that will prop up polluters, harm frontline communities, and delay the urgent work to break our reliance on dirty oil and gas. The fight to hold oil and gas corporations accountable for causing this crisis is only just beginning.”