As the military services roll out their climate change plans, a key senator is pushing to ensure the goals are met by enshrining them in law.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Army National Guard veteran, is introducing a bill Thursday that would set renewable energy goals for the Defense Department that match targets the military services have announced in recent months.
It's important to codify the goals, Duckworth said, “so that it isn't dependent on who happens to be secretary of defense.”
Read Next: Cuts to Cost-of-Living Allowances ‘Make It Hard Just to Exist,' Military Families in Germany Say
“We don't want a project to get underway and then for it to wane,” Duckworth added in a phone interview with Military.com. “One of the things that needs to happen in order for the pivot away from fossil fuels to be effective is a long-term investment.”
Under the Biden administration, which has made countering climate change a top priority, the military services have been setting energy goals, including the Navy on Wednesday releasing a climate plan that targets reducing emissions by 65% by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Net-zero means that any greenhouse gasses produced are offset by removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The Army in February also released a plan to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050.
The plans follow President Joe Biden signing,…
