A top environmental group endorsed Hillary Clinton for president Thursday, calling her the best shot to not only continue but expand President Obama’s environmental agenda.
Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said Clinton’s environmental record shows she would build on Obama’s climate change policies.
He said that contrasted sharply with Donald Trump’s history of statements about climate change, referring to it as a hoax on multiple occasions.
“The Sierra Club, like so many Americans, not only wants to protect President Obama’s legacy — we want to expand it,” Brune said. “That is something we can accomplish with a Clinton White House, and it’s why the Sierra Club’s members and supporters will work tirelessly to make sure she’s elected this November. We have an historic opportunity to build a clean energy economy that puts millions of people to work, and there’s no turning back.”
Brune also praised Bernie Sanders’ presidential run, which elevated environmental issues in the campaign, he said.
He called for Sanders’ supporters to work with the Clinton campaign in the general election to continue making the environment a top issue.
“Sen. Sanders and his supporters brought the passionate, principled advocacy that we need, and we are eager to work together to raise these issues in every campaign, not just the presidential race,” Brune said.
Brune emphasized that, as much as the Sierra Club supports Clinton’s agenda, it is very much against Trump’s plans for the environment.
Trump has promised to tear up the Paris agreement between 196 countries to fight climate change, and all of Obama’s environmental regulations. He has also said he wants to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Brune said the specifics of Trump’s environmental plans are too drastic to put him in the Oval Office.
“The gap on environmental and climate issues between Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump is the largest in U.S. political history,” Brune said.
Clinton said she was proud to receive the Sierra Club’s endorsement and she promised to take immediate action to work on climate change. She added that her policies will be aimed at reducing carbon pollution and ensuring the United States becomes a “clean energy superpower.”
She promised to fight against Trump and his climate change policies.
“Donald Trump has called climate change a Chinese hoax and said he will scrap the landmark Paris climate agreement,” Clinton said in a statement. “He has pledged to open up millions of acres of pristine public lands and waters to fossil fuel production at a time when America’s public lands are under unprecedented pressures.”
“We need to be accelerating the transition to a clean energy future and creating thousands of good-paying, high-quality jobs, not letting a climate denier anywhere near the White House.”
