Dear Members of Congress,

As leaders from many diverse faith traditions, we are united in our call for a bold economic recovery and infrastructure package that creates family and community sustaining jobs while caring for our climate and neighbors. It is the moral responsibility of our nation and our sacred task as people of faith to protect our ecosystems, work for environmental justice and public health, and address the climate crisis. 

We urge you to support historic levels of investment that will safeguard Creation, address the impacts of climate change and pollution from fossil fuel extraction and related industries, and fulfill our moral obligation to leave a habitable world for future generations. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and low-income communities have been hit the hardest by the triple health, economic, and environmental crises we face. The needs of these communities must be at the center of any infrastructure package.

As we move from COVID relief to economic recovery, this moment offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the clean energy future while addressing past injustices. We can achieve that by:

• Expanding clean, renewable energy and modernizing our electric grid

We can accelerate the transition to clean energy by passing a national Clean Energy Standard that achieves 100% renewable, pollution-free electricity by 2035 while also expanding wind and solar power investments. 

• Electrify transportation and expand public transit

Now is the time to invest in American-made electric vehicles, build charging stations across the country, and make sure they are affordable to all. We can also connect our communities and reduce pollution by electrifying and expanding public transit. 

• Clean water infrastructure for all communities

Too many communities, especially in low-income urban neighborhoods and Indigenous communities, don’t have access to clean water. We must invest in lead pipe remediation and programs that provide clean water to rural communities.

• Invest with justice

BIPOC and low-income communities have been harmed the most by both this pandemic and our centuries of investment in fossil fuel infrastructure. Our understanding of justice demands that these communities must be at the center of our investments as we advance. Specifically, we call for these communities, forced to bear an unequal burden of pollution and pandemic, to receive at least 40% of the investments. Additionally, to ensure a just transition, we must support dislocated workers and investment in communities historically dependent on fossil fuels.

Sincerely,

Green The Church