US Green New Deal will evolve piecemeal

Significance

The GND calls for massive changes to the US economy, environment and social policy to make the country fully ‘green compliant’. The March 26 rejection of a GND resolution before the US Senate does not mean the idea is dead: many contenders for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination support the GND or GND-style ideas. While on the Republican side there is more scepticism, this only means that the GND will provide a lively debate down to 2020, and beyond.

Impacts

• Republicans will espouse market-based climate change solutions, and promote more environmental deregulation and fossil fuels.
• Any pushes to make US industry greener, such as via automation, could alienate labour unions from Democrats.
• GND-style reforms would need continual follow-up investments, something harder for poorer states and municipalities.
• While this implies private-sector opportunities, equally, GND-style laws will likely face lawsuits and lawmaker-inserted caveats.