2024 Presidential Candidates Voter’s Guide
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| Candidate Name | Political Office | Party | Position | Position Score | Endorses the Green New Deal | Details | 100% Renewable Energy by 2030 | Details | Fossil Fuels in the Ground | Details | Carbon Dioxide Removal | Details | Climate Plan Score | Leadership | Leadership Score | Carbon Fee | Carbon Fee Score | Climate Calculation | Sources | Status |
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| Harris, Kamala | Vice President | D | On Senator Harris's 'Combat the Climate Crisis' page, she states, "We’re facing a climate crisis. From families devastated by hurricanes in the South and East Coast, to farmers facing flooding in the Midwest, to firefighters battling wildfires in California, one thing is clear: We need to take bold, direct action now." But when asked whether she would declare a climate change emergency if elected president, during the CNN, 'Climate Crisis Town Hall,' she stated that she would instead declare a drinking water emergency. Senator Kamala Harris understands the consequences and importance of acting on climate change but not as a top priority issue. | 75 | No | Senator Harris is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. | No | Senator Harris is not committed to 100% renewable energy by 2030. In her plan titled, 'A Climate Plan for the People,' she calls for 100% carbon-neutral electricity, which could still include fossil fuels, by 2030. | Yes | Senator Harris supports ending fossil fuel subsidies. In her climate plan, she states, "She will end federal subsidies for fossil fuels and hold Big Oil accountable for its role in the climate crisis." The Senator also supports ending fossil fuel extraction on public lands in her plan she states, "We must stop extracting fossil fuels and use our public lands to our collective benefit." Senator Harris signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. | Yes | Senator Harris supports one or more of our carbon dioxide removal methods. Her plan states, "In Kamala’s Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will support every farm in America to fully implement science-based agricultural conservation practices by 2040, establishing our agricultural sector as a global leader in climate-smart agriculture. Different regions, different crops, and different animals will require unique strategies to reduce emissions and pollution while increasing value, resilience, and carbon sequestration." | 50 | In August of 2020, Senator Harris introduced the Climate Equity Act (S. 4513), legislation to ensure that the United States government centers communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis in policy related to climate and the environment, stating in a press release, "The environment we live in cannot be disentangled from the rest of our lives, and it is more important than ever that we work toward a more just and equitable future. That is why, as we combat the climate crisis and build a clean economy; we must put justice and equity first." Senator Harris makes public statements and advocates for action on climate change, but not as a top priority issue. | 75 | In her climate plan, it states that, "She will make polluters pay for emitting greenhouse gases into our atmosphere," and that, "A climate pollution fee can play an important role as one of several interrelated policies to reduce emissions and hold polluters accountable." Senator Harris publicly supports and advocates for a U.S. fee on carbon. | 100 | 75 | https://kamalaharris.org/issue/climate/ https://kamalaharris.org/climate/ https://qz.com/1702416/the-most-important-takeaways-from-democrats-climate-town-hall/ http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/ https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-ocasio-cortez-introduce-landmark-legislation-to-empower-frontline-communities https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4513 https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/20/kamala-harris-even-considered-skipping-cnn-forum-say-youth-campaigners-why-we | Active |
| Trump, Donald | Ex-President | R | "In 2012, he famously said climate change was 'created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive' - something he later claimed was a joke,'" according to the 'BBC.' In a 2016 interview on Fox News, the President stated, "Well, I think the climate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax. A lot of people are making a lot of money. I know much about climate change. I'd be—received environmental awards. And I often joke that this is done for the benefit of China. Obviously, I joke. But this is done for the benefit of China, because China does not do anything to help climate change. They burn everything you could burn; they couldn't care less. They have very—you know, their standards are nothing. But they—in the meantime, they can undercut us on price. So it's very hard on our business." While attending a roundtable with California state officials regarding the West Coast wildfires, the President stated, "I don't think science knows," while discussing global warming. President Donald Trump disagrees with the scientific consensus that that climate change is real and human-made. | 0 | No | According to CNN, during an environmental speech, he discussed the Green New Deal, stating, "It'll kill millions of jobs. It'll crush the dreams of the poorest Americans and disproportionately harm minority communities. I will not stand for it. We will defend the environment, but we will also defend American sovereignty, American prosperity, and we will defend American jobs." | No | President Donald Trump is not committed to 100% renewable energy by 2030. | No | According to the President's, 'President Donald J. Trump Is Unleashing American Energy Dominance,' agenda, he has signed legislation to open up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for energy exploration, made 28 lease sales to oil and gas companies, approved the Dakota Access Pipeline, and has streamlined liquid natural gas terminals. President Trump has not sign the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. | No | President Trump does not have a plan for carbon dioxide removal. | 0 | According to Reuters, during a 2019 G7 Summit, when asked a question on climate change, the President responded by stating, "I’m not going to lose that wealth, I’m not going to lose it on dreams, on windmills, which frankly aren’t working too well." In a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House on June 1, 2017, and found on 'Whitehouse.gov,' Donald Trump said, "Thus, as of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris [International Climate] Accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country. This includes ending the implementation of the nationally determined contribution and, very importantly, the Green Climate Fund which is costing the United States a vast fortune." From the 'National Geographic's,' running list of how Trump is changing environmental policy, here are just a few: He appointed Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator; issued executive orders calling for logging increases on public lands; rolled back Obama era coal rules; restored Keystone XL pipeline blocked by a federal judge; approved offshore oil wells in the Arctic; moved aggressively to end children's climate change lawsuit; his EPA repealed Obama era methane rules; cut NASA climate monitoring program; dropped climate change from the list of national security threats; rescinded the EPA's Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era regulation designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants. President Trump makes public statements advocating against action on climate change. | 0 | In a tweet from May 13, 2016 the President responded to an article by The Hill, stating, "@thehill Your story about me & the carbon tax is absolutely incorrect—it is just the opposite. I will not support or endorse a carbon tax!" President Trump makes public statements advocating against putting a U.S. fee on carbon. | 0 | 0 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51213003 https://video.foxnews.com/v/4709867547001/?playlist_id=938973798001#sp=show-clips https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-western-wildfires-science-climate-change/ https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/donald-trump-environmental-leadership/index.html http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-unleashing-american-energy-dominance/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g7-summit-trump-climatechange/trump-on-climate-says-he-wont-jeopardize-u-s-wealth-on-dreams-idUSKCN1VG1RU https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-trump-paris-climate-accord/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/#close https://www.atr.org/trump-takes-stand-against-carbon-tax | Active |
Voter’s Guide FAQs
How do I use the Voter’s Guide?
Vote Climate U.S. PAC’s 2024 Presidential voters guide empowers every American to vote climate as a top priority issue in the U.S. Presidential election. Our voters guide gives all debate-qualified, Democratic and Republican candidates a – climate calculation – a score from zero to 100 to take into the voting booth. Voters can use it to choose a candidate with the highest score, to lead our nation toward climate action.
How is each climate score determined?
For 2024 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, please read the details in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Voter’s Guide Scoring Criteria.
I think I see an error in the data.
Please email us at info@voteclimatepac.org. Please provide concrete information and sources regarding any requested change on climate change, votes, leadership and/or fee on carbon. Due to a legal prohibition against coordination with candidates or their campaigns, to which we abide in letter and spirit, we will not be in touch with candidates or campaigns, but if we can independently verify your claims, we may change the candidate’s rating in our voter’s guide.