Permitting reform is a win on climate change — Republicans need to talk about it

In 2015, you would have been laughed at if you had predicted that Republicans would expertly negotiate with Democrats to deliver a uniquely conservative win on climate change. But that’s exactly what just happened in Congress.

Last week, both the House and the Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the bipartisan deal struck to avoid a default on the national debt. President Joe Biden signed the legislation on Saturday.

At first, it seemed that energy-permitting reform had been skipped in favor of other priorities, but there’s actually quite a lengthy section of the bill dedicated to the issues. Included in this section are elements of the BUILDER Act, championed by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), which ensures the U.S. can build energy infrastructure projects faster while still considering environmental impacts. 

To fight climate change, we must have agency to build infrastructure quickly. This bill gets us closer to that reality, although it’s clear the job is not done yet. While these provisions are far from transformative, they represent an important step forward on the issue of permitting reform and for future negotiations. We should applaud this effort to help get us on track to build things cleaner and faster. Permitting reform, after all, is climate action.

Republicans are uncomfortable claiming climate wins. But this means that the GOP is losing a key opportunity to appeal to young, climate-minded voters by not messaging climate wins for what they are.

If these voters knew, for instance, that 80% of the emissions reductions promised in the Inflation Reduction Act will not come to pass without significant permitting reform, Republicans’ championing of the issue would resonate with them.  

Democrats excel at putting climate front and center in their messaging because, of course, their base expects it. From the Green New Deal becoming a mainstream talking point to the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act being lauded as historic action, Democrats don’t have a branding problem when it comes to climate. Republicans, on the other hand, don’t own the climate issue. Instead, they have been hesitant to publicly embrace the role they have played in securing wins for our climate and economy, assuming their base is uninterested. Yet, data has consistently demonstrated that this assumption is unfounded.

In 2021 polling conducted by the Pew Research Center, Republicans expressed support for climate policies such as carbon capture and storage technologies and natural climate solutions. Younger Republicans were even more open to these ideas than their older counterparts. This is good news for the future of the Republican Party.

All Americans want clean air, clean water, and a safe environment to call home. Ensuring these things means reducing emissions to mitigate the effects of a changing climate. Republicans already champion policies that do this — including, in this instance, common-sense energy permitting reform.

By boldly branding this initiative as legitimate climate action — which it is — Republicans have a unique opportunity to connect with a largely untapped audience, one they have notoriously struggled with in previous elections. More importantly, it’s simply good policy.

Danielle Butcher Franz is the executive vice president of the American Conservation Coalition. Follow her on Twitter @DaniSButcher.