Democrats are worlds apart from the GOP on climate change. Here's what their platform says.
While the Republican platform approved last month did not specifically mention climate change, the party platform Democrats approved in Chicago this week embraces the issue, which consistently ranks as a major concern for a majority of Americans.
According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 64% of Americans are worried about global warming — including 62% in Wisconsin, a separate 2022 study found — and more than half believe global warming should be a high priority for the next president and Congress.
Historically, Democrats have considered climate change a greater concern than Republicans do — about six in 10 Democrats said it will be a very important issue in determining their vote for president, according to a June report from the Yale program, compared with about one in 10 Republicans.
Republicans' 2024 party platform does not mention climate change. It champions lifting of restrictions on oil, natural gas and coal, and contains the line, "We will DRILL, BABY, DRILL." But some Republicans, particularly younger ones, are pushing their party to elevate the issue and explore solutions to the climate crisis that align with conservative values — a growing discussion that was on display at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
More: Republicans open door to climate change discussion. Young conservatives say it's essential.
According to the Democrats' platform, "there is nothing more important than addressing the climate crisis."
Although party platforms outline the principles and goals each party holds, elected leaders are not required to stick to them.
Here's what the 2024 Democratic party platform says about climate change.
Sharp contrasts drawn between Biden, Trump approach on climate
As one might expect, the platform draws deep distinctions between how President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, this year's Republican nominee for president, approached the issue of climate change.
The platform was written before Biden dropped out of the race for president at the end of July and Vice President Kamala Harris entered it, so it doesn't contain any climate policy positions specifically attached to Harris. Her campaign has said she plans to build on Biden's climate record.
The platform applauds Biden's signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping climate law that included hundreds of billions of dollars to help the U.S. transition to cleaner forms of energy and reduce greenhouse gases that are driving climate change.
During Trump's presidency, he pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement and rolled back more than 125 environmental protection policies, scaling back federal safeguards that the oil and gas industry had derided as burdensome. The Washington Post reported in May that Trump told oil industry executives he would overturn many of Biden's efforts on clean energy and electric vehicles if re-elected.
Clean energy, which has some Republican support, is a priority
The Deocratic platform has a strong emphasis on the shift to clean energy, which Democrats say can also lower Americans' energy costs and create more jobs. Here's what the goals include:
Incentivize investment in transmission line upgrades and new lines, which move wind and solar energy from where they're generated to where people live.
Scale up development of clean energy on public lands.
Invest in clean energy research and innovation.
Block Republican attempts to repeal Biden's clean energy actions.
During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, renewable energy was a talking point among conservatives pushing the party to focus on climate change. Attendees pointed to the economic opportunities that could come with embracing solar or wind power.
More: How the Milwaukee RNC could open the door to conservative engagement on climate change
Environmental justice remains a focus
In 2021, the Biden administration rolled out the Justice40 Initiative, which mandates that 40% of the benefits from federal climate and clean energy programs go directly to marginalized communities that have been disproportionately affected by pollution.
Democrats intend to build on that initiative, according to the 2024 platform. Some of the work mentioned includes:
Investing $21 billion to rid the nation of legacy environmental pollution.
Capping oil and gas wells that are no longer in use so those materials can't leak into nearby communities.
Reducing air pollution around ports and airports.
Planting trees to combat the urban heat island effect, which makes cities hotter because buildings and pavements hold onto heat.
Helping marginalized communities transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
More: Many Milwaukeeans live in a heat island, and 'we can't air condition our way out of this'
Democrats plan to double down on electric vehicles, enforcement of environmental laws
Transportation is the largest contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making it a target for Democrats seeking to lower those emissions and cut air pollution. The platform also mentions standards to cut down on other forms of air and water pollution.
Here's what the platform prioritizes to reduce pollution:
Electrify school buses, city buses, federal vehicles, ports and waterways, and progress toward a goal that 50% of all new passenger cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 be electric.
Double funding to repair and expand public transit.
Upgrade wastewater systems and replace lead pipes.
Speed cleanup of Superfund and brownfield sites, which can leach toxic waste into nearby communities.
Increased monitoring and transparency around enforcement of environmental laws.
Efforts to adapt infrastructure to extreme weather would continue
Infrastructure like roads, bridges and buildings is at risk as floods, droughts and heat waves grow more frequent and severe — and consequences can be costly. As of Aug. 8, the U.S. has experienced 19 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters so far in 2024, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Democrats' 2024 platform outlines these goals to make communities more resilient to climate threats:
Building roads, bridges and ports that are less vulnerable to climate change.
Putting power lines underground so they can't be blown down by wind.
Improving the reliability of electrical grids.
Investing in resources like cooling centers to help residents during extreme weather events.
Working to pass a disaster resilience tax credit to help low and middle-income families and businesses prepare for and recover from weather-related disasters.
Platform seeks better conservation of public and working lands
Democrats have also sought to draw contrasts between Biden's and Trump's approaches to protecting land and water across the country, noting Trump's decision to allow drilling, logging and other development on national monument lands and his plans to restart oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Here are the goals for land conservation the Democratic platform outlines:
Increase protections for the Arctic.
Protect rivers and wetlands.
Designate new marine sanctuaries to protect oceans.
Push to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation fund.
Reward residents who do voluntary conservation practices on private lands.
Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental issues in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What the 2024 Democratic Party platform says about climate change