Photo Credit: Phil Roeder/Flickr
Billionaire hedge fund executive and environmental activist Tom Steyer is officially making a run for the White House — and putting an aggressive climate action plan at the center of his campaign.
In this episode of Political Climate, we speak with the newest contender in the 2020 Democratic primary about why he entered the crowded race, and how he plans to use "emergency powers" to combat climate change.
Steyer retired from hedge fund investing in 2012 to focus his efforts on political action and issue advocacy. He is the founder of NextGen America, a nonprofit and political action committee focused on addressing climate change and mobilizing young people to vote. Over the past two years, he has also spent millions of dollars on a nationwide campaign to impeach President Donald Trump, which has put him at odds with some other Democrats.
Steyer entered the Democratic primary shortly after the first round of debates, with a pledge to spend up to $100 million on his presidential bid. He boosted his campaign on July 25 with the launch of a bold climate action plan — the only climate action plan to effectively address the climate crisis with the urgency that it demands, according to his campaign.
Political Climate sat down with the candidate for an in-depth interview the day after he announced his aggressive new climate policy.
Recommended reading:
- Politico: How Tom Steyer Would Address Climate Change
- PBS: What Does Tom Steyer Believe? Where the Candidate Stands on 6 Issues
- Framework for a Justice-Centered Climate Plan
Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.
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