THRIVE Bill Puts People First in Addressing Climate, Public Health and Economic Crises

Statement by Angela Anderson, Director, Climate and Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

Published Apr 29, 2021

Led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a group of democrats are introducing the “Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy Act” (THRIVE) in the Senate and House today. The legislation outlines a plan to address racial injustice, the climate crisis and mass unemployment resulting from the pandemic.

Below is a statement by Angela Anderson, the director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“The THRIVE bill presents a strong vision on how to act on climate change in a way that puts people – working people, families and communities – at the center of the solutions. In addition to driving down emissions, it demands that we deal with the nation’s compounding crises in public health, the economy and climate change, and address the structural racism and economic inequity that are at its core. UCS appreciates the ambition of the THRIVE Act and its recognition of the urgency for climate action that scientists have clearly and unequivocally been telling us is needed. And the bill appropriately recognizes the next ten years as a very consequential decade for action, as scientists and frontline communities have been urging. This bill, along with the many proposals being put forward by the president and members of Congress, is providing essential building blocks for a solid foundation on which to build a just, low-carbon climate-resilient society.”