Climate Solutions and Clean Energy
Together with our partners, we confront the rapidly intensifying climate crisis and increase equitable access to high-quality opportunities in the clean energy economy.
Supporting Nature-Based Solutions in the Quad Cities
In April, NWF and our Illinois affiliate, Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), published a climate vulnerability assessment for the Quad Cities, a family of communities in Iowa and Illinois that straddle the Mississippi River where the river flows east to west. The assessment found that the “new normal” for the region will include increased flooding and extended heatwaves. The assessment recommends nature-based solutions to help address these problems, such as creating natural spaces within the city that can help keep temperatures from soaring while absorbing storm runoff. NWF and PRN are using the findings to work with residents, grassroots organizations, and local leaders to help identify – and implement – nature-based solutions with community support.
Photo Credit: Nina Struss
New NEPA Rules Give Greater Voice to Local Communities
NWF advocated for updating the National Environmental Policy Act to strengthen the influence of local communities over proposed federal actions and decision-making. The new rules, issued in May, increase the power of underserved communities, such as Indigenous groups, and will help ensure federal decision-making benefits people and wildlife and takes climate change into account. We are defending the revised NEPA rules in court against challenges by several states.
Photo Credit: Jim Murphy
Advocating for Smarter Clean Energy and Climate Regulations
Clean energy and climate technologies often complement natural climate solutions, helping ensure that wildlife, people, and ecosystems thrive. To that end, we utilized our technical expertise to strengthen and champion several science-based regulations that will fight climate change and advance clean energy, and tapped into our extensive network of authentic partners and coalitions to see these rules across the finish line. Some of the rules that incorporated our input include those that slashed methane emissions, required better planning for new clean energy transmission lines, and balanced the demand for solar projects on public lands with the need to protect wildlife habitat.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Faina Gurevich