Resolution in Opposition to Increase in Fossil Fuels and Reaffirming Support of Clean Energy

WHEREAS, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has an extensive history of advocacy, policies, campaigns, initiatives, and actions to end fossil fuel and support renewable energy sources; and

WHEREAS, Past resolutions, including the 2024 Resolution "Ensuring Racial Equity and a Just Transition in the Green Economy", continue to underscore our commitment to a just transition to clean energy; and

WHEREAS, The Trump Administration has tried to withdraw United States support from the Paris Climate Agreement and has actively promoted increased usage of fossil fuel energy sources, despite being the world's largest cumulative emitter of greenhouse gas, which is proven to be the greater contributor to climate change; and

WHEREAS, A wide range of scientific research has consistently proven that poor people and Black communities and other communities of color, have contributed least to climate change, but continue to be the most disproportionately impacted by its adverse effects including the ability to avoid heat stroke and other heat related fatalities; and

WHEREAS, The NAACP recognizes the urgency to avert further deterioration of our climate by shifting away from fossil fuel energy production and usage to clean, safe, and carbon-free renewal energy sources; and

WHEREAS, Over the past two decades U.S. green energy and climate emissions policies have enabled tremendous strides that set the course for a path forward in new workforce development, decreasing high energy burdens in communities, and progress needed to ensure a just and equitable transition to clean energy, and

WHEREAS, Policies of previous administrations aligned with much needed global aims at reducing fossil fuel energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions are being aggressively undermined by an aggressive agenda that declared a national emergency as a basis to revive fossil fuel exploration and consumption; and

WHEREAS, Clean energy jobs can increase income nearly 20 percent and have already created over 300,000 new jobs; and

WHEREAS, Any efforts to deregulate existing policies that promote clean energy will threaten the health of vulnerable communities, accelerate sea level rise, exacerbate flooding, expose our communities to more frequent and intense storms and other extreme, dangerous weather events, decrease wealth generating careers, and seriously impede actions and achieve progress to adequately and effectively respond to the climate emergency; and

WHEREAS, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, reaffirms support of its much heralded research including NAACP reports that analyze coal-fired plants and other research regarding fossil fuel dangers; and reasserts its advocacy policy positions, strategies, and programs to end fossil fuels such as: March to End Fossil Fuels, Clean School Bus initiative, and recent campaign to make polluters pay for fossil fuel pollution in frontline communities.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP will continue its advocacy and commitment to promoting a just energy transition to clean, safe, carbon-free renewable energy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP demands that Congress immediately pass legislation to put safeguards in place that protect those communities having contributed least to climate change, but have been most disproportionately impacted by the adverse effects.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates for implementation of plans that emphasize the dangers of relying on fossil fuels and the benefits of renewable energy, including the need to establish mitigation, adaptation, resiliency, and sustainability planning to better prepare for the looming climate crisis.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates that Public Utilities Commission and other policy making bodies enact legislation and policies that prevent disconnections of electricity during any severe or extreme weather event.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP strongly urges local and state governments to continue creating incentives for justly and responsibly transitioning to clean, safe, carbon-free renewable energy and energy independence frameworks.