On Sept. 10, FCNL joined a coalition of 17 faith organizations in sending a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. We asked members of Congress to prioritize clean energy tax incentives as they advance tax policy this year. This would be a key step to meaningfully lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Dear Chairmen Neal and Grassley and Ranking Members Brady and Wyden:
As a coalition of diverse faith traditions, we are united across theological lines by our commitment to be stewards of all of God’s creation and our call to serve vulnerable communities. It is the moral responsibility of our nation, and our sacred task as people of faith, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. We believe that the United States can and must play a leadership role in addressing climate change this Congress. Thus, we urge you to incentivize the deployment of clean energy through changes to the tax code, which we see as one of our best opportunities to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next year.
We are united across theological lines by our commitment to be stewards of all of God’s creation and our call to serve vulnerable communities.
The need for global leadership is urgent. Other countries are moving forward with the deployment of clean energy technologies, and it is in the U.S. interest to maintain our leadership role in this space.
Our congregations and houses of worship know firsthand the importance of policies that promote energy efficiency in our buildings and appliances and allow our members to benefit from clean energy sources and electric vehicles. We also realize that many clean energy tax incentives are either out-of-date or have expired, provisions that are critical solutions to addressing climate change.
As you work to advance tax policy this year, we ask that you prioritize the following clean energy tax incentives: energy storage, electric vehicles, offshore wind energy, energy efficiency, and extending tax credits for solar and wind energy. These tax credits will be important to keep the U.S. on a trajectory towards a clean energy economy and thriving communities for future generations.
Thank you for your consideration of policies that will safeguard God’s creation, address the impacts of climate change on our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, and fulfill our moral obligation to future generations. We look forward to working with your offices on this important topic moving forward.
Sincerely,
Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Creation Justice Ministries
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Interfaith Power & Light
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Justice Team
Sojourners
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist for Social Justice
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
The United Church of Christ
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society