Environmental concerns are often overshadowed during presidential elections. For the 2016 race, one group is trying to bring the issue centerstage.
Political campaigns tend to live or die by their campaign’s flow of funding, and the biggest donors often have a lot of influence over what issues candidates run on. Next Generation, a nonprofit climate activist group, is looking to spend some money of its own, but with a set of specific policy demands from candidates.
Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, Next Generation’s co-founder and a former hedge fund manager, announced in July he will donate to candidates who pledge policies that would require half the nation’s energy to be produced from clean sources by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. His words are backed by a lot of money, according to the New York Times — he donated roughly $57 million to seven Democratic senate and gubernatorial candidates during the 2014 midterm elections, though only three of them actually won.
This time, Steyer might have already caught the attention of one Democratic presidential hopeful: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But Steyer and Next Generation aren’t just looking to woo Democrats — they’re also working to get Republican candidates to make climate change an important issue.
Tell me more about Tom Steyer.
At fifty-six years old, Steyer steps onto the political stage as a corporate manager-turned-environmentalist. According to Forbes, his net worth is $1.62 billion.
Over the last decade, he’s become more involved in political contributions, particularly since stepping down from his investment firm Farallon Capital Management in 2012. Though his investment firm became profitable by supporting the coal industry across the country, his wife Kat Taylor explained to the New York Times, he said he came to realize Earth’s future relies on sustainable energy.
In 2004, Steyer raised funds for John Kerry’s campaign; he did the same in 2008 for Hillary Clinton, according to the New Yorker. He’s since supported climate-focused candidates and initiatives across the country.
The idea of NextGen brewed in Steyer’s mind for a long time, according to the New York Times. He wanted to create an outlet that could contrast financial opponents who blocked progress on climate change, including the Koch Brothers.
How receptive are Democrats to Next Generation?
Clinton, currently the Democratic frontrunner, released her climate plan just three days after Steyer’s announcement, making clear her intentions of forming a clean-energy America. According to the New York Times, Clinton “emphasized that her targets cleared a bar” set by Steyer, and Clinton’s Press Secretary Brian Fallon suggested parts of Clinton’s plan were influenced by the deep-pocketed activist.
Steyer has yet to bet his own money on Clinton, but he could already be eyeing her campaign as a potential beneficiary — in May, Steyer hosted a $2,700-a-person fundraiser for Clinton in his personal home in San Francisco. The billionaire’s favor comes in spite of greens’ concerns that the former head diplomat repeatedly refused to take a position on the contentious Keystone XL pipeline. According to POLITICO, Steyer came to Clinton’s defense claiming, “She isn’t for Keystone. She has no position.”
But Clinton hasn’t been the sole crusader for clean energy. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley unveiled a detailed climate plan a month before Steyer’s announcement. Though he did not hint any financial commitments to the former governor, Steyer applauded O’Malley’s plan, which met his goals.
Clinton’s runner-up Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) presented similar climate goals and received recognition from Steyer for his long-term commitment to the environment, though he has yet to release a plan as comprehensive as the others’. But Sander might be happy even without Steyer bankrolling his campaign — he was quoted by POLITICO early this year saying, “I don’t want money from the billionaires” and has become famous for accepting at most $2,700 from a single donor.
Neither of the other two Democratic candidates — former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) — have released detailed climate plans, though Chafee lists “environmental stewardship” as one of his four priorities.
What about the Republicans?
Much of the GOP presidential field falls into one of two categories when it comes to climate change: believing it’s real or not. The question of man-made climate change splits the group of 17 candidates even further.
So far, only one candidate, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, has stood out from the others and proposed a plan to reduce emissions.
Jindal’s plan — which does not meet Steyer’s expectations — calls for a level playing field for all forms of energy, instead of the government “picking winners and losers.” He wants to develop efficient ethanol brands and increase energy information disclosure requirements for high-energy consumption products. Jindal even agrees with Democrats on a key environmental point: he thinks there should be more renewable energy in the power grid.
The governor also emphasizes how technology development is important to help address the possible effects of climate change. He also wants to remove the U.S. from the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for worldwide reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
What else is this group doing?
For many Republican candidates, climate change remains hardly a topic for discussion. NextGen seeks to change that through a publicity campaign and grassroots movement.
On the day of the first Republican debate, NextGen ran a full-page ad in The Plain Dealer in Cleveland that read, “Republican voters favor powering America with at least 50 percent clean energy by 2030. Do Republican presidential candidates have a plan to get us there?”
The group also claims to have a list of 350,000 environmentally-conscious voters. Christopher Lehane, chief political strategist for Steyer, dubbed them in an interview with the New York Times as “climate warriors.” The goal is to attract more climate-focused voters and encourage them to pressure candidates to talk more about the environment.
Since April, however, Steyer has indicated he will allocate more resources to the group’s super PAC and political wing, NextGen Climate Action, according to POLITICO. There is also added speculation that Steyer himself, who commands a team of political advisers, might run for public office himself. When asked by the New York Times about a potential run, he responded, “If it would help the movement, I’d consider it.”
Contributed by Katie Pohlman
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