During formal UN press conferences, in swanky auditoriums and at crowded socialist celebrations, one word was on everyone’s minds at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.
The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, stated that during President Trump the United States is “reverting to commonsense energy policies that focus on affordability”. The previous energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, emphasized Democrats must focus on renewable power’s capacity to shrink power bills to secure elections. And supporters of the likely soon-to-be New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their initiatives to link green policies with efforts to lower city residents’ rent and ensure transit affordable.
The attempt to link everyday cost issues to climate change is not new. The concept was a key part of the Green New Deal, a progressive policy platform popularized by young climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden adopted the framing in the White House, calling his signature green carbon-cutting policy the Inflation Reduction Act, from 2022.
Now, as utility bills rise around the country, Americans on all sides of the ideological divide are presenting their energy and climate plans as methods to protect everyday citizens’ finances.
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In Focus
Annually, Climate Week in New York City brings together public leaders, business representatives, experts and campaigners for a wide range of climate-focused events, timed to coincide with the United Nations general assembly.
This year, the Trump administration’s environment-deregulating campaign cast a significant shadow over the event. In speeches through the week, White House officials sought to frame its rule-cutting agenda as a win to reduce Americans’ bills, with Trump calling green energy a “fraud” and Wright declaring: “The more people have gotten into supposed climate action, the more expensive their energy has become.”
Environmental supporters attempted to expose those statements as false while getting Americans to support with green policies on the basis that they can cut costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a plan to speed new power-line construction and reinstate green energy incentives which Trump repealed earlier this year. Its title: the Cheap Energy Act.
It’s a framework that Jennifer Granholm, who served as US energy secretary under Biden, noted she expected as climate falls down the list of political concerns for Americans, while economic worries rise. “My guess is you’re not going to see a lot of politicians using the word ‘climate’, because people see that as a secondary [concern], not a essential, and right now they’re in the critical mode,” she told reporters during avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is crucial.”
Those significantly Granholm’s progressive side also advocated a focus on affordability in the climate fight. But many demanded more far-reaching solutions that deliver more immediate benefits. Instead of merely adjusting with the tax code to incentivize green technology buildout – a signature of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should focus on less technical, “green economic populist” campaigns such as fare-free transit and the build-out of decarbonized public housing.
“These kinds of programs do have decarbonization benefits, but they’re highly important for starting to establish a mass base [who have] trust in public institutions and confidence in the government,” Batul Hassan, workforce lead at the left-leaning thinktank Climate and Community Institute, said at a panel.
Mamdani, the left-wing who secured a remarkable win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, represents this kind of agenda, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, progressives assembled for a celebration at the renowned Sounds of Brazil music venue to honor the candidate’s success.
“It has long been understood that if we’re going to create a mass movement, people need to see the connection between the shift to renewable energy and paying less money,” New York City comptroller Brad Lander said in an interview at the party, shouting over the beat of Charli xcx.
Messaging is important, but merely speaking about affordability is not enough, Alexa Avilés, a New York City council member and progressive, told the Guardian at the Mamdani event. Trump, for instance, has failed to deliver on his promise of lowering bills as handing massive benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also guilty of favoring their corporate donors’ interests, Avilés said.
“Some people talk about everyday folks, but then they make policies that are intended for the rich. We’ve been living with that frustration for a long time,” she said. “We need to focus on truly providing relief to people. And we see that when we really prioritize people over profit, people respond to that. People can discern who is sincere.”
Further Reading:
- US energy department tightens rules on workers’ use of climate crisis language
- Trump administration allocating $625m to revive dying coal industry
- Los Angeles pledged to host the Olympics without breaking the bank and environment. Can it?
