WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Wildlife Federation heralded President-elect Joe Biden’s choice of three key climate and energy leaders to guide his climate and clean energy policies: former EPA Administrator and National Resources Defense Council President and CEO Gina McCarthy to lead domestic climate policy; New York State Deputy Secretary for Energy and Environment Ali Zaidi to serve as deputy climate coordinator; and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to serve as Secretary of Energy.

McCarthy and Zaidi’s appointments demonstrate the incoming Biden Administration’s serious commitment to confronting the climate crisis.

“The climate crisis is an existential threat to wildlife and people alike, and we need to leverage every tool and technology available to address it. Gina McCarthy and Ali Zaidi will form a world-class duo to spearhead the most ambitious climate agenda in our nation’s history that both leverages the full resources of the federal government and accelerates our economic recovery and pursuit of environmental justice,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We look forward to working with them both to pursue solutions as big as the global climate crisis demands — including those put forward by the House and Senate select committees — and to ensure that these crucial policies elevate frontline communities, protect clean air and water, and recover America’s imperiled wildlife.”

Granholm’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Energy also underscores his commitment to energy innovation, carbon sequestration, and a climate-focused approach to clean energy.

“If we are going to confront the climate crisis and ensure our wildlife and way of life endure for generations to come, we must accelerate our nation’s pursuit of clean energy solutions. By nominating Jennifer Granholm, President-elect Biden is affirming his administration will take exactly this approach to deploying clean sources of energy, reducing existing carbon pollution, building a 21st century grid, and advancing other climate-informed energy strategies,” O’Mara said. “The challenges we face are too substantial for any delays and we urge the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm Governor Granholm’s nomination, so she can get to work.”