Kamala Harris eyes aggressive climate action for the auto industry

Vice President Kamala Harris now leads the Democratic bid to keep the White House in 2024, raising questions about her intentions for the automotive industry.

Let’s take a look at Harris’ history with big oil and climate change:

Before 2020: Biden quickly emphasized Harris’ stances on environmental policy when he initially brought her onto his campaign ticket in 2020. As District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California, Harris launched and won lawsuits against Chevron and BP for damaging the environment, and, during her time as Senator, filed legislation that called on government agencies to weigh the impacts of environmental policy on under-represented communities. She also led a probe against Exxon Mobil over allegations the company purposefully misled the public on climate change.

During the 2020 campaign: While these pursuits were similar to Biden’s own history of climate-change policy, Harris was typically seen as more pro-environment than her running mate. During her own presidential campaign, she became an early adopter of the Green New Deal, a set of economic policies focused on reducing emissions over the course of a decade. Harris also promised to end fracking “on day one’ if she became President.

Since 2020: Harris’ efforts to drive climate action have continued since becoming Vice President. In December of last year, she made her first appearance at international climate negotiations, speaking at the U.N. COP28 climate summit. During the meeting, Harris pledged an additional $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, an initiative focused on promoting environmental policy in developing countries. And earlier this year, Harris, joined by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Detroit, unveiled over $100 million in funding aimed at boosting the automotive industry's transition to EV production.

Bottom line: Harris’ history paints her as an even more pro-climate action candidate than Biden. A Harris presidency is thus not only likely to continue the same electric vehicle policies supported by the current White House but also likely to pursue even more aggressive environmental legislation than its predecessors, leaving major implications for the car business.

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