Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris was welcomed by Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov.

Tim Walz before she delivered remarks at a campaign event on Wednesday, Aug.

7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

In introducing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’ running mate, they highlighted his work to reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Climate advocates are already praising Walz.

“Tim Walz had the best climate record of any of the VP contenders and has been unafraid to take on Big Oil,” said Jamie Henn of Fossil Free Media.

“I am all in for Walz,” said Gina McCarthy, former Biden White House national climate advisor.

She now co-chairs a climate coalition.

“He can't be bought by the fossil fuel industry.

Walz is a climate champion moving Minnesota toward 100% clean energy.

”Last year, Walz required all Minnesota power plants to use 100% climate-friendly energy such as wind and solar by 2040.

That’s five years slower than the target set by President Joe Biden.

But in making the announcement, Walz emphasized that transitioning the energy system to cleaner fuels also creates more jobs.

“Minnesota will continue to lead the way on combating climate change, and we’ll create clean energy jobs in the process,” Walz said.

He also underscored the urgency scientists say is needed.

“When I hear people say, ‘You're moving too fast,’ we can't move too fast when it comes to addressing climate change.

”Scientists say humans must limit global warming to above pre-industrial levels to avoid catastrophic impacts.

But the world is not on track to achieve that goal under current policies.

“There's a clear intentionality that Governor Walz has shown throughout his political career to center environmental issues and climate justice,” says Antonio Arellano with a youth voter organization.

“We hope that he brings that now to the national level.

”Climate change has been a theme throughout Tim Walz’s political career.

As a representative in Congress, he supported legislation that would have capped planet-heating emissions across the economy, but the legislation failed to pass the Senate.

“He noted that Minnesota had failed to meet its emissions goals, so he created a new subcabinet focused on reducing emissions and addressing climate change,” Arellano says.

Walz also signed legislation that accelerated the permitting process for building renewable energy sites and provided training for clean energy workers.

On Earth Day this year, he signed over 40 climate initiatives into law.

Walz’s Republican rival, JD Vance, has a different stance on climate change and the fossil fuels causing it.

As recently as 2020, Vance expressed concern about climate change and supported using natural gas to fuel power plants.

But as a candidate, he doesn’t think there is a climate crisis.

“This is a guy who has proposed shipping more manufacturing jobs to China… Who wants to make the American people more reliant on garbage energy instead of good American energy,” Vance told reporters on his campaign plane Tuesday.

Former President Trump and Vance claim the Biden administration’s efforts to address climate change will help China’s manufacturing sector.

The GOP candidates also regularly criticize what they call the “Green New Deal” and praise domestic oil and gas production.

The GOP platform actually contains the words “Drill, baby, drill.

”The American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s largest trade group, aims to “cement American energy leadership, protect consumers, and help reduce inflation.

” “We encourage the Harris-Walz campaign to detail their stance on the key issues that will shape America’s energy future,” wrote Mike Sommers, API president and CEO, in a statement.

Specifically, the group wants a pause on new natural gas export permits lifted and more oil and gas leases for drillers on public lands and offshore, even as the U.

S.

is transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

While climate change has not emerged as a key element of this campaign so far, the addition of Tim Walz means the candidates at the top of this November’s ballot will have very different views – and records – on climate change.