Group backing Green New Deal supports Inslee climate plan

A group that’s one of the biggest proponents of the Green New Deal threw its support behind a climate proposal from Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), just days after criticizing an environmental plan put forth by former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas).

The Sunrise Movement, a youth climate organization, has been adamant that White House hopefuls adhere to a 2030 goal for reaching net-zero carbon emissions. The group praised Inslee for pledging to match that timeline.

{mosads}“Jay Inslee’s first policy proposal shows that he’s willing to put the full weight of the federal government behind a 10-year full-scale mobilization to move towards the 100% clean energy future we deserve,” Executive Director Varshini Prakash said in a statement Friday. “This is the spirited commitment to bold climate action that young people are looking for in our next president.”

Inslee’s plan aims for an energy grid that has zero emissions and no carbon use by 2030. It also calls for all new vehicles and buildings to be emissions-free by 2030. Inslee would seek to close all coal-fired power plants in the U.S. to achieve the goal.

That 10-year timeline served as the basis for Sunrise’s initial critique of O’Rourke’s plan.

“Beto claims to support the Green New Deal, but his plan is out of line with the timeline it lays out and the scale of action that scientists say is necessary to take here in the United States to give our generation a livable future,” the group said at the time.

Sunrise later tapered its criticism.

“We came out a bit too hot on @BetoORourke’s climate plan, focusing just on his timeline & not enough on everything that’s spot on [about] it,” Prakash tweeted. “2050 is too late a deadline for the US to reach net zero [greenhouse gas] emissions, but Beto’s plan was a great start & I hope many others follow suit.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who introduced the Green New Deal resolution in the House, said O’Rourke’s plan needed to have “more aggressive timelines.”

Inslee has made a point of comparing his plan with O’Rourke’s, branding himself the climate change candidate while saying the former Texas representative “did not lead” on climate change as a member of Congress.