PROGRESS

The ocean offers powerful solutions to the challenges of climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)–the largest climate investment in U.S. history–and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) included billions of dollars for ocean climate solutions, including:

CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION

of vital coastal habitats, which protect communities from worsening storms and flooding.

GREEN SHIPPING

through zero-emissions fuels and electrification of U.S. ports.

and other renewable energy projects to grow domestic manufacturing, create jobs, and accelerate energy transmission.

OFFSHORE WIND

Ocean climate action can slow the speed of climate change and make coastal environments and communities more resilient to climate impacts.

The U.S. is expected to experience as much SEA LEVEL RISE BY 2050 as it witnessed in the previous hundred years.

These impacts will increase tide and storm surges that will reach further inland and exacerbate racial and social inequality. Investments in coastal restoration and resilience will buffer against worsening storms and flooding and their damaging effects and provide–   

  • Jobs and economic growth: Ocean and coastal restoration work has been shown to stimulate local economies through wetlands restoration, shoreline stabilization, debris removal, and more. 

  • Coastal community protection: As climate change accelerates and extreme weather events worsen, coastal restoration projects will protect communities from harm by providing natural storm buffers in the form of coral reefs, wetlands, and salt marshes.

  • Climate and environmental benefits: Restoring natural coastal infrastructure like salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass beds removes carbon from the atmosphere at four times the rate of land-based ecosystems. These projects also provide important habitats for fish and wildlife and protections for coastal communities. 

THANK YOU PRESIDENT BIDEN!

We applaud and celebrate the ocean climate solutions made possible by the IRA and the IIJA that will help protect the ocean, local communities, and our climate.