The Biden administration made progress on climate change. Experts say Kamala Harris needs to convince climate voters.

As Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns for the presidency, she is anticipated to prioritize the Biden administration’s climate accomplishments and agenda — which she played a significant role in promoting, both domestically and internationally. And her success in appealing to the 70% of voters who favor taking steps to reduce climate change could be crucial to her campaign.

Kamala Harris’ role in the Biden administration climate efforts

Although critics have been quick to attack the Biden administration for record fossil fuel permitting and production under its watch, it has been the most pro climate administration in history. The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, is the most comprehensive climate legislation the U.S. has ever seen, aimed at aggressively cutting greenhouse gasses and promoting the transition to renewable energy.

As vice president, Harris has also pushed for climate change actions abroad. She stood in for Biden at the COP28 climate summit, where she announced a $3 billion contribution to a climate aid fund for developing countries, launched the U.S.-Caribbean partnership to address the climate crisis, and worked with the private sector (that ultimately pledged $7 billion in new commitments) to promote climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation across Africa. 

Kamala Harris’ past action on climate

As California attorney general, she investigated Exxon Mobil for allegedly misleading the public and shareholders about climate risks, secured an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for cheating on emissions tests and pursued legal action against Plains All-American Pipeline following a 2015 oil spill.

Harris’ commitment to climate action was also evident during her tenure as a U.S. senator. She was an early cosponsor of the Green New Deal, a comprehensive proposal aiming for 100% clean energy within a decade and job guarantees for workers affected by the transition from fossil fuels. The Green New Deal was never successfully passed by Congress, but lawmakers continue to use it as a blueprint for climate-change-related policy.

During her 2019 presidential campaign, Harris advocated for an even more ambitious climate agenda than Biden. Her proposals included a carbon tax, a “climate pollution fee,” a ban on fracking and a commitment to $10 trillion in climate spending. These measures aimed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition the United States to a clean energy economy. 

“Her focus on climate has been consistent, and she’s been delivering that message to exactly the subset of voters who we know from our research are persuadable on climate,” says David Kieve, president of EDF Action, an environmental advocacy organization. 

How climate voters could sway the election

Harris’ climate record is expected to be a significant aspect of her campaign. According to a 2024 analysis by the University of Colorado, the public’s view on climate change played a significant role in the 2020 election and likely tipped the scales in favor of Democrats, giving them a 26-point advantage over Republicans on the issue that resulted in a favorable swing in the popular vote.

Nathaniel Stinnett, founder of the Environmental Voter Project, highlights that 4.8 million registered voters across 19 states prioritize climate and the environment but haven’t voted in any election since before 2020. “Climate voters have become the ultimate wildcard, and if the climate movement votes, they could change everything,” Stinnett told CBS News.

The Environmental Voter Project identified significant numbers of climate voters in key battleground states: 250,000 in Pennsylvania, 230,000 in Arizona and 490,000 in Georgia. Given the narrow margins in these states during the 2020 election, these voters could be decisive. 

While climate voters may not be the largest voting bloc, they have the potential to significantly influence the 2024 election by showing up to the polls. “More than two-thirds of the country wants to see exactly the kind of climate progress that this administration has put in place,” says Bob Deans of NRDC Action Fund, “And so how that actually translates into votes, we’ll have to see.”