The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) held a White House Faith Leaders Convening on Climate, Clean Energy, and Environmental Justice.
The event gathered faith leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for the first time to discuss opportunities to benefit from and further engage their communities on President Biden’s climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, including through the use of Direct Pay – a novel provision provided through the Inflation Reduction Act that enables tax-exempt entities, including houses of worship, to benefit from federal clean energy tax incentives.
The event recognized faith leaders for their unique ability to connect their communities with the information, resources, and support needed to create a more equitable and just clean energy future. This convening highlighted how meaningful community engagement with faith leaders and organizations can advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to build the nation’s clean energy economy. This includes through Direct Pay and programs covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Biden-Harris Administration officials participating included the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta, Assistant to the President and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Melissa Rogers, Senior Advisor for States and Implementation Ryan Whalen, and Senior Advisor for Inflation Reduction Act Implementation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury Ronnie Newman. Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore, Interfaith Power and Light Southern California Director Bekah Estrada, RE-volv Executive Director Andreas Karelas, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Senior Warden Maggie Chappen, Community Church Atlanta Reverend Kevin W. Earley, and others representatives from houses of worship across the country also shared success stories and best practices for leveraging Direct Pay and other federal investments.
The Biden-Harris Administration will continue prioritizing partnership with faith leaders and houses of worship to amplify outreach to communities as we advance the work to lower energy costs for families, increase climate resilience, advance environmental justice, and build a clean energy future.