A New Ad Campaign Pushes Benefits of $369 Billion Climate Law To Black Communities

A coalition of anti-climate change and progressive political groups is launching a new wave of ads targeting Black and Hispanic communities, part of a $10 million campaign aimed at informing diverse groups about investments in climate mitigation under the Inflation Reduction Act.

That law, signed by President Joe Biden in August, authorized $300 billion in government spending in an attempt to blunt the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the overall economy. But it also included the largest single federal investment in climate action in U.S. history, authorizing another $369 billion in investments in various climate efforts over the next decade.

The law’s supporters have touted its investments in things like clean energy development, electrical grid upgrades, battery manufacturing and solar panels. The new ads aim to draw connections between those investments and potential benefits to individual families in the form of job opportunities, tax credits and the like.

“While the Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant investment in climate, communities across the country still don’t know how this legislation positively impacts their lives,” said Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, one of the organizations funding the campaign. Joining Climate power in funding the campaign is the League of Conservation Voters, the NRDC Action Fund and Somos Votantes.

“Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. Extending the length of our campaign, and deepening our engagement with Black audiences through radio and streaming audio content, allows us to reach even more communities to bridge this information gap.”

The new campaign includes a radio spot called “It Matters” that touts “1.5 million new jobs, that means more stable work right here in our neighborhood” and a $15 billion investment in lead pipe replacements, and directs listeners to the web site www.climatelawfacts.org. It will air in Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Detroit, Flint, Mich., Milwaukee and Philadelphia from now through February.

The radio commercial will complement three digital spots, “Opportunity Starts Now,” “Our Chance,” and “Seen,” which are already running in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New Mexico, New Hampshire and in the Los Angeles media market.