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Climate Issues: Where 2020 Democrats Stand On The Green New Deal And More

Photo illustration: Getty Images and Renee Klahr/NPR

Editor's Note on April 8, 2020: With the Democratic primary now down to one candidate, we're no longer updating the below graphic. But you can still see the stances of all candidates — past and present — below.


Climate change — or, more precisely, fighting climate change — has quickly become one of the top priorities among Democratic voters. Increasingly dire warnings about the devastating effects of climate change, as well as the sweeping Green New Deal proposed this year in Congress, have helped the topic gain traction among voters and politicians alike.

Democratic presidential candidates broadly agree that the country must do something to combat climate change, but they don't entirely agree on what that should be. Here, we asked candidates questions about both what they plan to do and the magnitude of their climate proposals.

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Graphics designed and produced by NPR's Alyson Hurt and Thomas Wilburn. Lexie Schapitl is an editorial assistant on the Washington Desk.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Corrected: December 20, 2019 at 12:00 AM EST
A previous version of this story incorrectly said Bernie Sanders wants the federal government to spend $16.3 trillion over 15 years to fight climate change. Sanders wants that amount spent over 10 years.
Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk. She appears on NPR shows, writes for the web, and is a regular on The NPR Politics Podcast. She is covering the 2020 presidential election, with particular focuses on on economic policy and gender politics.
Lexie Schapitl is a production assistant with NPR's Washington Desk, where she produces radio pieces and digital content. She also reports from the field and assists with production of the NPR Politics Podcast.