WASHINGTON – In response to breaking news that John E. Morton has been chosen to lead the Treasury’s climate hub, Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, and Varshini Prakash, executive director of Sunrise Movement, released the following joint statement:
“Appointing a climate czar with no expertise in financial regulation is a concerning sign that the White House and Treasury are not taking seriously the role that financial regulation must play in fixing the climate crisis and are not prioritizing the need for strong leadership and coordination from the Treasury Department to transition toward a 100% renewable energy economy.
“We need a climate czar who will invest in low-income communities, rural areas, communities of color, and regions on the frontlines of the climate crisis. John E. Morton is the latest in a troubling list of appointees who’ve just come out of the private sector where they literally capitalize off the right to clean air and water.”
When reporting indicated the Treasury had chosen Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as climate czar, progressives celebrated the choice as a sign that the administration understood the kind of leader it will take to coordinate our financial regulator response to the climate crisis. In contrast, Morton is a partner at an asset management firm that’s tagline is “nature is capital.”
