MADISON – Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, has joined a new national network of public officials that intend to hold corporate polluters responsible for their outsized role in creating and perpetuating the climate crisis.
Leaders for Climate Accountability recently launched with 68 state and local officials in 18 states, with plans to expand membership to other public officials. Neubauer was joined by Madison City Alderman Max Prestigiacomo as the first Wisconsin public officials to join the organization.
According to a news release, Leaders for Climate Accountability is committee to three core policy principles:
- Holding the fossil fuel industry accountable, because those who are most responsible for the climate crisis and its impacts should pay their fair share of its costs.
- Defending local democracy and access to the courts, because communities facing ongoing and imminent harm deserve the opportunity to seek justice.
- Putting constituents and their safety and security at the forefront of policy solutions, because taxpayers should not be stuck footing the entire bill for climate adaptation and resilience.
The network is launching as a growing number of states and localities are taking or considering legal action to recover the spiraling local costs of climate change damages — including sea-level rise, wildfires, floods, and supercharged storms — from major oil and gas companies who knew their products would cause the climate crisis but lied to the public and opposed climate action for decades. The new effort is being facilitated by The Center for Climate Integrity, a nonprofit that works to help communities hold corporate polluters accountable for the massive costs of climate change.
Neubauer, who represents the 66th Assembly District, was elected in a January 2018 special election and reelected in November 2018 and November 2020. She serves on the Assembly’s Environment, Science and Technology, Jobs and the Economy, International Affairs and Commerce, Public Benefit Reform and Transportation committees.
