Introducing Climate in All Budgets
This is part of “Climate in All Budgets,” a new blog series by 100% Campaign Managing and Research Director, Dr. Kate Knuth
I’ve been working on climate change in Minnesota for nearly two decades. We are at a pinnacle moment for how excited I am about our potential for big progress. We already made a huge climate commitment this year by making 100% Clean Energy by 2040 Minnesota law. And we have the ability to do much more.
We’re in this moment for three big reasons. First, we have a climate champion as governor and climate majorities in the House and Senate. Second, the Inflation Reduction Act means historic levels of federal climate investments over the next decade. Third, we have an estimated $17.6 billion state budget surplus, more than we’ve ever had before.
In short, we can make climate commitments like 100% clean energy, and we also have the tools to put major public investments behind those commitments. If we do so, we can make a big leap toward a climate future in which all Minnesotans thrive.
So, what does it look like to make transformative climate investments? When I started thinking about this idea, I called the approach Climate Everywhere. At the 100% Campaign, we’ve narrowed that idea to our state budget, calling the approach Climate in All Budgets. Essentially, it means this – climate change affects every part of our life, and we should invest all across our state budget to make our climate future better.
Yes, we need to make state investments in weatherization to make homes across Minnesota more comfortable while using less energy and making less carbon pollution. We also need to invest in our state nursery, so communities across the state have access to the trees needed to keep our forests and urban tree canopies healthy. These trees sequester carbon, even more they help keep our communities cool as summer heat ramps up.
Given the huge tools we have, we will be working hard to make sure the legislature invests in a better climate future all across the state budget. And we will need your help to make it happen. We need you to contact your legislators, to write letters to the editor, and talk to your neighbors. Wherever you are, you can talk up the idea of transformative climate investments and why this year matters so much.
To make sure you have the tools and understanding to help, we at the 100% Campaign are launching a blog series called, you guessed it, Climate in All Budgets. We’ll start by diving into the governor’s budget proposal and then going deeper in key budget areas. We want to make these potential climate investments more concrete with examples you can use to share with friends, colleagues… and your legislators!
I hope you’ll follow along. Even more, I hope you will let me know what questions and ideas you have. And how to make this work more useful. Be in touch at kate@100percentmn.org.
