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1,300+ climate advocates gather in person and virtually for conference

JUNE 2022 — With time running short in the 117th Congress to enact climate legislation, volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby gathered in person for a conference in Washington, D.C., this month. This in-person event was the organization’s first since the start of the pandemic. We welcomed 527 climate advocates to the conference in person, and 835 more joined sessions streaming online. 

The conference came at a critical time to enact legislation that can meet President Biden’s commitment to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030. In her opening remarks, CCL Executive Director Madeleine Para announced that the organization will pursue climate solutions in two additional areas beyond carbon pricing: building the clean energy economy and advancing nature-based climate solutions.

“Late last year, we began exploring what additional efforts we could make,” Para said. “Not by abandoning our relentless pursuit of carbon fee and dividend — because there is truly nothing comparable in its impact on emissions, and we remain committed to that policy — but by adding policies that are also needed to achieve a healthy climate and which will help build the additional political will that is crucial to success on climate change.” 

This expansion of CCL’s policy focus was covered by E&E News in a June 21 story. To view Para’s speech or any of the other conference programming, visit our YouTube playlist.

At a reception following the conference, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) praised CCL’s efforts during this Congress, saying, “We would not be in this position if you had not gotten on the phones, and come to Washington, and emailed, and done all the work that you did to put life and energy into carbon pricing and carbon border adjustments. No group worked harder, and a lot of groups were willing to walk away from that. We’re not there yet, but it is within reach, and the reason it is within reach is because of work you have already done.”

In the days since the conference, CCL volunteers have kept up that energy, holding more than 240 meetings with members of Congress. Many of the meetings, which have taken place in person and virtually, focused on pushing for a reconciliation bill containing ambitious climate policy.

Photos are available of CCL volunteers meeting with lawmakers from Delaware, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Utah, and many more.  You can find additional photos from CCLers’ Capitol Hill meetings by browsing the hashtag #CCL2022 on Twitter.

CONTACT: Flannery Winchester, CCL Senior Director of Communications, 615-337-3642,