Energy & Environment

Yang floats nominating Inslee as ‘climate czar’

Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang said Thursday he would consider tapping former competitor Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to serve as a climate czar in his administration.

Yang’s comments came at a MSNBC climate forum held at Georgetown University in response to a question about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

{mosads}Yang said he would nominate an EPA administrator “that believes in the EPA,” and attacked current EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler for saying the climate change threat is still 50 to 75 years out. 

But the entrepreneur also said tackling the climate crisis may require a “climate czar.”

“I’m sure Jay Inslee would love that role,” Yang said.

Before dropping out of the presidential race, Inslee focused his campaign squarely on addressing climate change, and candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has said she would adopt Inslee’s plans as part of her own platform for tackling climate change.