Moving Beyond Carbon
Carbon pollution is driving climate change around the world, resulting in a wide and worsening range of negative effects, from increased asthma attacks to more extreme fires and floods. Fortunately, cheaper, emissions-free renewable alternatives to coal and other fossil fuels are available now. With support from leadership at the state, local and business levels, these sources also create jobs and enhance local economies. Beyond Carbon aims to drive the transition away from coal and gas and toward clean energy alternatives. It builds on the progress of the U.S. Beyond Coal campaign, which has helped retire over 70% of all coal plants in the U.S. to date.
Beyond Carbon
Launched in 2019, Beyond Carbon is one of the largest-ever coordinated campaigns undertaken in the U.S. to tackle the climate crisis. The initiative works with a diverse range of advocates and organizations around the country to close 100% of all U.S. coal plants by 2030, stop the construction of proposed gas plants; and help win key state and local climate policy changes.
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U.S. Beyond Coal
Since 2011, Bloomberg Philanthropies has worked with the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations to retire coal plants through the U.S. Beyond Coal campaign. The grassroots campaign has been called perhaps the most successful effort in the history of the environmental movement, taking on the single largest source of climate pollution in the U.S. and retiring over 70% of all coal plants. The campaign laid the foundation for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ launch of Beyond Carbon.
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Beyond Petrochemicals
Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution aims to halt the rapid expansion of petrochemical and plastic pollution in the United States. Beyond Petrochemicals will block the expansion of more than 120 proposed petrochemical and plastic projects concentrated in three target geographies–Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley–and will also work to establish stricter rules for existing plants to safeguard the health of American communities.Â
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Top photo: Grassroots volunteers and advocates at a Beyond Carbon event in Denver, Colorado.