When President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law in August, advocates for climate action cheered its unprecedented support for measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With more than $369 billion in climate-friendly incentives for electric vehicles and more, the IRA is a historic legislative achievement on its own. But the legislation also pairs with the earlier Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to turbocharge climate adaptation and resilience.
Since the IIJA became law last November, the Biden administration and congressional leaders have said the act contains $50 billion for climate resilience. But, as Georgetown Climate Center has previously noted, every dollar of the IIJA’s $1.2 trillion represents an opportunity to improve climate resilience across the United States. Given the clear and present danger posed by the impacts of a changing climate, every investment funded by the bill can — and should — be designed to make our communities better prepared to withstand the increasingly severe weather and other impacts climate change is already fueling.
IIJA has created numerous opportunities for states, tribes and local governments to invest in equitable, climate-smart infrastructure. And now, IRA provides still more funding for climate change adaptation efforts that can further leverage IIJA’s reach — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
THE HILL
BY MARK W. RUPP, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 10/27/22