WASHINGTON, D.C. — As wildfires ravage the West and hurricanes batter the East, climate change poses a serious threat to both public health and the economy, particularly for vulnerable communities who have seen the brunt of the impact. Following the news that Thursday’s final presidential debate will include questions about climate change, National Wildlife Federation Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization, Mustafa Santiago Ali, pressed candidates to provide substantive discussions on their commitments to environmental justice and solutions that will protect the most vulnerable Americans:

“Americans deserve to hear our presidential candidates’ plans to address the climate crisis and protect vulnerable communities from continued injustices. It is great to see climate on the agenda for Thursday’s debate, but questions aren’t enough — the American people deserve answers. They deserve to hear a real, substantive plan. And perhaps none more so than our Black, Brown and Indigenous communities who have been forced into sacrifice zones, bearing the brunt of pollution, environmental degradation and disinvestment for far too long.

“Our next president must prioritize solutions that address the root of environmental injustice and systemic racism. We can achieve so much — job creation, pollution reduction, equal access to green space and so much more — if we invest in policies that put our people, our land, our air, our water, and our wildlife, before all else.”