Senator Kamala Harris and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) introduced a Climate Equity Act on Aug. 6, seeking to address the climate crisis with policies aimed at lawmakers that are not taking accountability.

“For too long, policies that affect communities of color have been determined by a few white men in a room in Washington,” said AOC.

The two have worked on the legislation for a year, with the goal of mitigating the worst impacts of climate policies by reducing emissions, creating jobs, and investing in the most vulnerable communities affected by climate change.

“As the United States combats climate change and confronts systematic racism and injustice, we must ensure that frontline communities have a seat at the policymaking table and that nobody gets left behind,” reads the Climate Equity Act.

 

The Act will “broadly include policies to address pollution, emissions, transportation, housing, infrastructure, agriculture, resilience, natural disasters, jobs, workforce development, and more.”

“For a year, AOC and I have worked with communities on landmark legislation to ensure that we fight the climate crisis,” wrote Harris on Twitter.

“We center that fight in justice equity. Today we’re formally introducing the Climate Equity Act in Congress,” Harris continued.  
 

The Bill outlines plans for holding Congress accountable, holding the Executive Branch accountable, and ensuring frontline communities lead the fight.

The one-page document, while brief, focuses on representation in decision making moving forward with climate legislation, but does not address plans for specific climate action.

The move leaves climate activists hopeful for Democratic unity, now less than three months away from a vital general election.