Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber joined President Biden, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and other business and climate leaders at the site of a former coal plant for an announcement of new executive actions to tackle the climate crisis and unlock the economic promise of a just and sustainable clean energy transition.
Following the event at Brayton Point in Somerset, Mass., Lubber issued the following statement:
“President Biden today took substantial action that will bolster the already ascendant offshore wind industry, growing this huge source of high-paying jobs and domestically sourced clean and affordable energy. The wind industry promises to unlock economic growth along our coasts while preventing the worst impacts of the climate crisis, which this week is stifling the U.S. and the world in deadly heat waves and will continue to get worse until we address fossil fuel pollution. We were also pleased to see the president’s leadership on a critical climate justice issue, through programs to help communities deal with extreme heat.
“As a national organization based in Boston, Ceres is closely familiar with Brayton Point, and what made it such an appropriate setting for the president’s announcement today. It is becoming an avatar of the clean energy transition — a waterfront symbol of renewal, modernization, and growth. As we move from the shrinking and dirty industries that powered our past but threaten our future, to those like offshore wind that will carry us forward, this site will provide a real-world demonstration of the many benefits this transition entails for companies, communities, households, workers, and our planet. It is a result of the actions of many stakeholders, including companies, investors and climate advocates across Massachusetts, and one made possible by the forward-looking policy environment the Commonwealth has charted in recent years.
“Congress can deliver these benefits to states across the U.S. by passing the ambitious climate and clean energy investments that businesses have championed over the last year. But with federal climate legislation facing an uncertain future in Congress, and in light of the devastating ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to restrict the EPA’s power to regulate climate pollution, we need all hands-on deck to address our urgent economic, climate, and justice challenges. This includes the growing action in the private sector among companies and investors to take advantage of these clear economic opportunities and to prevent the risks the climate crisis represents to their businesses, portfolios, and stakeholders. It includes the growing momentum in legislatures across the country as states seek to build these industries and establish themselves as innovative clean energy hubs. And it includes strong executive action at the federal level to ensure we have a national approach to meeting this global challenge.
“We are grateful today to see all these forces pulling in the same direction. However, we need much more at all levels of government and in both the public and private sectors. We urge Congress to bolster these efforts with the bold clean energy legislation required to meet our climate and economic goals and call on President Biden to take further action in the coming weeks and months.”
Lubber has been at the helm of Ceres since 2003, and under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks have grown significantly in size and influence. The Ceres Policy Network (BICEP) is now made up of more than 75 companies pushing for stronger climate and clean energy legislation. From 1998 to 2001, Lubber served as the deputy and then regional administrator for EPA Region 1 (New England). Lubber has received numerous awards for her leadership including the 'Champions of the Earth' award in 2020 — the highest environmental honor from the United Nations. She was also named in Barron’s 100 most influential women in U.S. finance two years in a row.
About Ceres
Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.