Sen. Schatz to attend UN Climate Conference in United Arab Emirates

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a Senate delegation will attend the annual UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Schatz plans to highlight the progress made possible so far by the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law a year ago. The law invests in clean energy, helps lower energy costs for Hawai‘i families, and aims to cut US carbon pollution by 40% in 2030.

“A year ago, Congress passed the biggest climate action in American history with the Inflation Reduction Act. The law made historic investments to dramatically reduce emissions, accelerate the clean energy transition, and make our communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Senator Schatz. 

“A year in, the results have already exceeded our most hopeful projections,” he said. “And none of the doom and gloom predictions made by fossil fuel companies and other big corporate interests have come to pass. The IRA is creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, unleashing a manufacturing renaissance not seen in years, and helping shore up communities to be more resilient to extreme weather. The IRA is proof that big, bold climate action is not just possible, but it benefits everyone. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for the economy.

Sen. Schatz said the IRA “can and should be a blueprint” for the rest of the world for delivering climate action. “We no longer have to imagine what will happen. Climate action works for everyone – we did it and so should other countries,” Sen. Schatz said.