On Tuesday night, VP Harris and Donald Trump met for their first—and possibly only—presidential debate before the U.S. election.

JL Andrepont, of 350 Action, responds:

“The climate crisis worsens daily, and yet Trump and VP Harris debated for 90 minutes and climate change was only mentioned at the end. We’ll be upfront—the only way to ensure a safe and affordable future for Americans and beyond is to transition swiftly and justly from all fossil fuels, including fracked gas, and to renewable energy.

But let’s be clear: the two candidates and the threat they pose to people and the planet are NOT the same: Trump is singing ‘drill baby drill’ and Big Oil is holding up the mic. Trump is making blatantly racist claims about everyone from recent migrants to VP Harris herself, and white supremacists and neo-fascists are holding up the mic. We cannot overstate the dangers that Trump and Project 2025 pose.

Harris might not have led with it tonight, but her past record shows that she is willing to take on the destructive influence of the fossil fuel industry. She knows that the climate crisis is real and already affecting far too many communities, and she mentioned the need to further invest in renewable energy. VP Harris is the only candidate who believes in climate change or even claims to represent the people, and we will hold her accountable to what that means. But we must fight for that chance.”

This post was originally published on Common Dreams.