CO₂nsequences: ECCC August 2025 Newsletter

Posted by Dana Freling
August 21, 2025

Chair - Global Environment and Climate Crisis; Vice Chair - DA Finland; Steering Committee - Global Women's Caucus; Member-Reproductive Justice Task Force

Message From the Chair

The global fight for a livable future hit a turning point this summer. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down a landmark opinion according governments the legal obligation to protect their people from climate chaos. The ICJ said human rights “cannot be ensured without the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment” and countries must take measures accordingly. It’s not binding, but it’s a weapon for climate justice movements worldwide, and it raises the stakes for polluters and the politicians who protect them. Add to that was momentum on U.N. plastics treaty negotiations, pushing for a binding agreement to stem the tide of plastic trash poisoning our oceans.

Stateside, a U.S. Congressional resolution, spearheaded by Sen. Merkley and Reps. Schakowsky, Jayapal, and Raskin, was introduced to enshrine children’s rights to life and a stable climate system. This resolution gives constitutional power to demands from our youth for climate justice—and builds on the Lighthiser v. Trump lawsuit.

The fossil fuel lobby, however, is still running the show. The administration’s Big Ugly Bill is an industry wish list dressed up as legislation — shredding clean energy incentives, killing renewable projects, and handing billions to oil and gas CEOs while Americans pay more for energy. Not enough? Trump’s EPA head, Lee Zelden, is formalizing a policy of climate denial and misinformation by, amongst other actions, proposing to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the very legal back bone that forces action on greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, and by shutting down the EPA’s research division.

Meanwhile, floods have devastated Texas with tragic loss of life, including dozens of young campers — while the President doubles down on deregulating fossil fuels and fast-tracking liquefied natural gas exports (LNG) to enrich the same corporations fueling the crisis. This is climate negligence, plain and simple.

But here’s the good news: resistance works. Our pressure stripped out some of the most destructive land-grab provisions in the budget bill. Globally, climate lawyers are ready to use the ICJ opinion and the children’s rights resolution to hammer governments into stronger action. And activists — you — are the reason they can.

So don’t let up…and if you haven’t yet, join the resistance! The next global day of action is Labor Day, September 1st. No action is too small; find a protest near you, call or write your representatives until they know your number by heart, share the ICJ opinion and the children’s rights resolution far and wide! And to learn more, subscribe to DA’s Take Action Newsletter.

Join us at the ECCC’s August Climate Café focusing on sustainable energy systems (details below). This is the moment to fight harder, shout louder, and refuse to back down — because the other side isn’t stopping, and neither are we.

Dana Freling
Chair, DA Environment & Climate Crisis Council

Please join us for our August Climate Café on August 19^th at 10:00 am ET/4:00 pm CET, where we will explore building sustainable energy systems. Our guest speaker is Harry Apostoleris, the Chair of Democrats Abroad UAE, who has engaged throughout his career on the achievement of clean energy systems. The presentation will explore how energy system planners ensure that our electric grids can supply us with power when we need it, and how we can switch to clean energy without giving up reliability.

RSVP HERE

Now is a critical time to step up for climate action and our democracy. Fighting climate change is also fighting poverty and all inequalities. ALERT: A new bill has been introduced in Congress…H.R. 4851, the Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility (PROVE) Act, would sharply limit voting rights for millions of U.S. citizens living abroad. Stay tuned on how we, at Democrats Abroad, are a mounting efforts to block this bill, which would be disastrous for us living overseas.

We recommend joining activist groups both within Democrats Abroad and adjacent. You can write and call your representatives – local, state, and federal and both Republican and Democrat – to make your voice heard! And most importantly, make sure you are registered to vote at votefromabroad.org today!

These actions, however small, add up. Following is a valuable organizing blueprint put out by Democrats Abroad on tools of resistance: Resistance Roundtables

Subscribe to DA’s Take Action Newsletter for specific guidance on how you can get involved and join our Defending Democracy Advocacy efforts today!

Volunteer with the ECCC – Contact us at eccc@democratsabroad if you’d like to get more involved. Join our Legislative Tracking Group or help out with a variety of tasks including social media and communications.