Climate Power, an advocacy entity, has pledged $80 million for an advertising initiative to bolster awareness around President Joe Biden’s climate and environment plans, a strategic move in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
The advertising efforts primarily focus on educating voters about the President’s comprehensive climate and clean energy policies. In the earliest days of his presidency, Biden set high benchmarks to truncate the country’s emissions, detrimental to the planet. Moreover, Biden oversaw the successful passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which heralds the most extensive climate-investment legislation in the history of the United States.
Regardless of Biden’s instructions to his administration to prioritize climate change and clean energy, recent surveys prove that these directives are not successfully reaching the voters. A poll conducted in July by the Washington Post/University of Maryland found that less than a third of Americans surveyed claimed comprehensive knowledge about the IRA, contrasting dramatically with 71% who knew little or nothing about the Act. The same survey, however, found widespread support for initiatives within the bill, such as tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, solar panels and energy-efficient heating and cooling mechanisms.
Nonetheless, this particular poll revealed that 57% of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s handling of climate change. Lori Lodes, the Executive Director of Climate Power, noted that a majority of people ardently back what Biden has accomplished to tackle climate change – when they are aware of it. To bridge this informational divide, the campaign aims to communicate the story of America’s climate progress by meeting citizens where they are.
Drawing from a variety of digital and television platforms, Climate Power is launching ads with their eyes set on 2024. Additionally, the group is also initiating a Latino voter mobilization campaign and honing in on social media to connect with young voters. In-person events are also in the planning stages for key battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan.
Climate Power’s ad campaign is running with the partnership of Future Forward, whose nonprofit arm has contributed to the funding of some ads this year. Biden has also earned the support of four notable environmental outfits – LCV Action Fund, NextGen PAC, the Sierra Club, and the NRDC Action Fund, consolidating for an endorsement for the first time ever.
There have been mixed reviews of the Biden administration’s approach toward the environment. While the youth-driven Sunrise Movement praised the decision to establish the inaugural American Climate Corps, there has been criticism too, pointing a finger at the administration for sanctioning significant fossil fuel projects such as the Willow Project in Alaska and the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia.
Note: This narrative has been modified to offer clarity regarding the ad types from Climate Power and to note that Future Forward’s nonprofit entity has been assisting in funding some of their advertisements.
