Climate Action Now

We are at a climate crisis turning point in New Mexico, but we are also in a unique political moment. In November 2020, voters elected a new federal Administration and Congress, ushering in a new mandate for urgent action on climate. The administration proposed, and Congress passed, several far-reaching initiatives: the American Rescue Plan Act, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the historic investments in climate and equity in the Inflation Reduction Act.

In 2018, New Mexico elected a pro-conservation Governor, Commissioner of Public Lands, Public Regulation Commissioner, and House of Representatives. There has been more pro-conservation executive action, agency rulemaking and legislation in the Lujan-Grisham administration than at any time previously. This broad agenda has prepared New Mexico to fully leverage the federal funding and initiatives coming from the Biden administration.

The state’s economic reliance on oil and gas is substantial, with the industry regularly contributing at least 30% of New Mexico’s General Fund each year. This has led to policy decisions that incentivize oil and gas development. However, oil and gas support of the state budget varies drastically with the boom-and-bust cycle of fossil fuels and the dramatically fluctuating revenue streams hamstring the state’s ability to plan long-term.

Vision

We are still in the early stage on the road to an equitable zero-emission economy. With so much at stake at the local and federal level, it is imperative that we continue to build on the progress New Mexico has made in recent years. With a robust statewide engagement strategy, we will build support for bold federal action, center racial equity, protect the Energy Transition Act, embolden state leadership to continue to take stronger action through administrative and policy work, and develop policies in direct partnership with communities most impacted by the climate crisis and the just transition to a zero-emission economy.