Andrade Urges Rauner to Denounce Trump’s Anti-Environment Agenda, Pledge Support for Paris Climate Agreement

CHICAGO – To show that Illinois’ commitment to combating the grave threat posed by global warming, state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, signed onto a letter urging Gov. Rauner to add Illinois as a state the will continue to uphold the standards set out in the Paris Climate Accord.

“As a father of two, I want to help ensure that my children inherit a healthy planet that hasn’t been decimated by man-made climate change,” Andrade said. “President Trump’s anti-environmental policies are dangerous. When the entire scientific community has said that climate change is a serious threat to our planet, countries across the globe have recognized the threat, and yet this administration is rejecting this global consensus—there is a serious problem”

After President Trump withdrew the United States Paris Climate Agreement the governors of California, New York, and Washington formed the U.S. Climate Alliance—a bipartisan group of states committed to upholding the Paris Agreement within their borders. Since, the group was formed nine other governors have made clear their intention to follow the treaty. Governor Rauner has yet to make a statement on the issue.

“While the Trump administrations seems resigned to letting our country fall behind as the rest of the world takes the lead in combating climate change—its important that Illinois sends a strong signal that we are committed to fighting for our planet’s future,” Andrade said. “I urge Governor Rauner to stand with science and pledge his intention to follow the environmental goals set forth in the Paris Accord.”