Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen released the following statement in response to President Biden’s executive orders today:

“Today’s announcements herald the leadership we desperately need to tackle environmental injustice and our climate emergency.

“One week in office and President Biden is already making good on his promise to prioritize bold climate action and environmental justice. It will take unrelenting focus across the entire federal government to make up for all the time we have lost, and today’s executive order provides the blueprint.

“Announcing a pause on new federal fossil fuel leasing is the first step to reining in oil and gas drilling that accounts for 25% of U.S. carbon pollution while ravaging our public lands and coastal waters. As the world’s largest oil and gas producer, the U.S. must lead by making treasured public lands part of the solution to climate change.

“We applaud the administration’s focus on justice, restoring science, job creation and an equitable transition away from fossil fuels. Today’s executive actions can set us down the path to address our country’s long history of environmental racism and to invest in a pollution-free economy that leaves no community behind. The President is making environmental justice, accountability, and enforcement a mission of the White House and every federal agency. He is also ensuring that 40% of the overall benefits from relevant federal investments go to disadvantaged communities.

“We look forward to working with the Biden administration to achieve their ambitious goals, here in the U.S. and around the world. Restoring and strengthening our bedrock environmental laws will be essential to our collective success, and as always, Earthjustice will be working to make sure that happens.”