Statement: Infrastructure Bill offers billions for climate resilience, but there is still more work to do

The Ocean Foundation applauds the $47 billion investment in climate resilience in the Infrastructure Bill, passed on Friday 5 November 2021. Bipartisan packages like this demonstrate that Congress can come together to address critical issues, and we encourage Members to again work across the aisle to further negotiate the Reconciliation Package to open up many more dollars for coastal restoration. Ultimately, we encourage Congress to continue to work to explore ways to reduce emissions and address the root causes of climate change.  

This investment will be well spent in places like Louisiana and the Everglades in Florida- coastal communities who have had plans in place years ago and have been waiting for their projects to come to fruition through federal funding. To make that happen, we encourage federal agencies to work efficiently so that these projects can get permitted in a timely manner, while still maintaining the critical due diligence processes and protective measures put in place by the National Environmental Policy Act and other authorizing legislation, before the shovels hit the ground.  

To learn more about The Ocean Foundation’s work in climate resilience, click here.