Bloomberg Launches Beyond Carbon Campaign
Bloomberg Philanthropies founder Michael R. Bloomberg has announced the launch of a $500 million campaign to address climate change and put the United States on track toward a 100 percent clean energy economy.
Announced during Bloomberg's commencement address at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Beyond Carbon campaign will advocate for state and local policy changes, additional coal plant closures, and a stop to the building of new gas plants, as well as the election of candidates who are "climate champions." The largest coordinated campaign to address climate change in U.S. history also will work with advocates and state and local organizations to pass climate and clean energy policies, including 100 percent clean energy laws, emission targets, and timetables for phasing out climate pollution, as well as programs to expand low-carbon transit, accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles, and promote low-carbon manufacturing; grow the climate movement by expanding support for grassroots organizations and frontline communities; and build on the success of the Beyond Coal campaign to retire all coal-fired power plants by 2030 and extend that campaign's strategies to other fossil fuels. Launched in 2011 with a $50 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Sierra Club, Beyond Coal has contributed to the closing of 289 of the 530 coal-fired plants in the U.S...