Will You Support Green New Deal Virginia Legislative Priorities in 2021?

Since our founding almost two years ago, Green New Deal Virginia has built a diverse intersectional coalition movement across the commonwealth to demand solutions that match the scale of the crises we face. Our coalition has never shied away from taking on the fights no one thought could be won. And this upcoming year is no different. We need to pressure our elected officials to embrace the benefits that are going to come from policy change, and recognize the role that government must play in the transition to a clean economy, with the central focus being justice. This is an issue that needs political will and commitment. We must urgently persuade leadership to create good public policy that will benefit all Virginians, and not accept excuses for failing to address the crises we face. We can bolster that political will by calling, writing and emailing our elected officials to ask them to support and co-patron GNDVA priorities. We must demand that the Democratic Leadership docket our bills for a fair and public hearing.

Help GNDVA hold them accountable for their inertia, and pressure them to pass these policies in 2021!

You can help by:

1- Sending an email to Democratic Leadership and your Legislators asking them for a meeting and urging them to support and copatron Green New Deal priorities and DOCKET OUR BILLS!

2- Signing our Petition in support of the HB 1937 the Green New Deal Act and HB 2292 the Fossil Fuel Moratorium. This petition will be delivered to leadership and members of the hearing committees of the Virginia General Assembly in January 2021.

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HB 1937 Green New Deal Act legislation will:

Ensure renewable economic investment, that uplifts workers and vulnerable communities, and protects residential and small business ratepayers from being burdened by the transition to renewables

Create a Climate Action Plan that addresses all aspects of climate change (mitigation, adaptation, resiliency in sectors like transportation, agriculture, heating, and cooling)

Strengthen Virginia’s energy efficiency goals

Enact a moratorium on fossil-fuel infrastructure to stop the buildout of more fracked gas plants and pipelines in order to boost the renewable energy economy

And commits Virginia to 100% clean renewables—mainly solar and wind— by 2036 to address the climate crisis

The Green New Deal Act tackles the problem of carbon emissions head on by first placing a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure in Virginia by 2022. Secondly, the GND Act creates an aggressive timeline to full transition away from fossil fuels by 2036 with clean energy mandates and finally adds civil penalties to retail electricity providers who fail to comply with renewable standards.

The Green New Deal Act requires an investment in clean, safe, renewable energy to prevent catastrophic damage to our vulnerable Eastern Shore communities. If we do nothing now, estimated future costs can be as high as $31 billion to protect the Eastern Shore; this will be on top of the costs to transition to clean energy.

The Green New Deal Act creates jobs, provides a just transition, creates opportunities for rural communities and protects the vulnerable Eastern Shore from sea level rise

A phaseout of fossil fuels is outlined in the Green New Deal Act and Moratorium. The goals of Green New Deal Virginia are to not only have a steady transition to renewable energy, but to ensure the right to clean air and water for every Virginian, and make certain that no community will be exploited or left behind. If Green New Deal legislation is passed in Virginia, it would bring in thousands of jobs to the commonwealth. These new jobs, which will reach every corner of the state, will create a diverse and even playing field.

In addition to GNDVA’s promise of jobs and training, it is essential that we Repeal Right to Work and enact other pro-worker and pro-union measures, to bolster the development of a diversified workforce.

Protect the Eastern Shore: The Center for Climate Integrity report estimated that rising sea levels due to climate change will cost Virginia $31 billion if we do not act now. Virginia's Eastern Shore and Northern Neck of the Chesapeake Bay are listed among the top ten counties that will require billions of dollars to safeguard businesses, homes and roads.

The GND Act will create thousands of jobs in the clean energy sector in Virginia. The Advanced Energy Economy reports there are already 97k+ jobs in Virginia, and the expansion of clean energy will create tens of thousands more, without creating health hazards for local communities!

The GND Act is about more than creating 100% clean, safe, renewable energy. It’s about transitioning our Commonwealth while ensuring no communities are left behind. During this transition, we will have an opportunity to ensure we implement policies that require strong enforcement of labor, workplace safety, wage standards, and the right to unionize.

Marginalized communities will be disproportionately affected by the catastrophes brought on by the consequences of climate change. The climate crisis does not discriminate, but our resources and culture do.

We must legislate an equitable and just transition to clean energy immediately. The COVID-19 crisis has shown us that we were not prepared for this disaster, and we will not be prepared for the next one unless things change. We just emerged from a worse-than-normal hurricane season and we need just and equitable disaster management to protect frontline communities against compounding crises. Investing in our communities to create climate resilience will create more good, green jobs.