The Inflation Reduction Act was the most the US has ever spent on climate and one of the largest in the world. As federal climate spending in the US and Canada face devastating cutbacks, the CCJ presents new research reflecting on the successes and pitfalls of US federal incentive-based climate justice policy, based on interviews with state and city-level implementers, organizers, and nonprofits.
What we found is a testament to the importance of the federal bureaucracy that the Musk/Trump are racing to dismantle. But, we also heard firsthand how Biden’s approach to climate policy, which left fundamental economic power relations unchecked, was never enough – real climate justice comes from and continues to proceed at the grassroots.
The panel, of report author Tova Gaster, Climate Emergency Unit’s Seth Klein, and UBC SCARP’s Holly Caggiano, will discuss takeaways from the IRA, and how the Canadian climate movement can learn from “Build Back Better” to get transformative climate policies on the table. This will be a casual conversation, bring your questions!
