Overview

Inflation Reduction Act: A Big Step Toward a Climate-Safe Future

Analysis on the 2022 climate bill by NRDC’s experts.

A solar farm in Lapeer, Michigan

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Mark Graf/Alamy

A headshot of Manish Bapna
Manish Bapna
President & Chief Executive Officer
A headshot of Derek Murrow
Derek Murrow
Senior Director, Federal Power, Climate & Energy
A headshot Amanda Levin
Amanda Levin
Director, Policy Analysis, Science Office
A headshot of Simon Mui
Dr. Simon Mui
Managing Director, Transportation, Climate & Energy
A headshot of Luke Tonachel
Luke Tonachel
Senior Strategist, Transportation, Climate & Energy
A headshot of Andrew Wetzler
Andrew Wetzler
Senior Vice President, Nature
Headshot of Brendan Guy
Brendan Guy
Director, International Climate, International
Headshot of Jake Schmidt
Jake Schmidt
Senior Strategic Director, International Climate, International
A headshot of Sarah Dougherty
Sarah Dougherty
Senior Advisor, Strategy & Results
Headshot of Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera
Senior Director, Strategy, Planning & Operations, International
A headshot of Douglass Sims
Douglass Sims
Managing Director, Green Finance & Economic Development
Sasha Stashwick (Alum)

On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the strongest U.S. climate action yet. The Inflation Reduction Act provides billions in strategic investment to promote clean energy and climate justice. It will also help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, spur clean energy innovation, and strengthen domestic manufacturing. 

“This law moves us closer to President Biden’s pledge to cut climate pollution 50 to 52 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. To get there, he must use his established authority to write rules to help cut carbon pollution from our cars, trucks, and dirty power plants, reduce methane emissions, and keep investors informed on corporate climate risk,” says NRDC President Manish Bapna. “And we must strengthen, not weaken, the commonsense safeguards we all depend on to protect the environment and public health. Moving forward, we must implement this progress in a way that drives benefits to the people who need them most and ensures that frontline communities aren’t further burdened by climate and fossil fuel harm.”

The work does not end here. Read further analyses by NRDC experts below.

Read NRDC's Analyses

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Why Congress Must Pass the Climate Bill

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Manish Bapna
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the strongest congressional climate action yet—in the moment we need it most.

Climate Law a Game-Changer for Clean Energy in Rural America

Expert BlogJeffrey McManus
In rural communities across America, the Inflation Reduction Act will be a game-changer in accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy that will lower utility bills for families, support good-paying clean energy jobs, and tackle…

Cities Are Critical to Deliver Equity Goals in Climate Bill

Expert BlogUnited StatesIrene Nielson, John Bailey
The new climate law requires a central role for cities to realize equitable outcomes.
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U.S. International Leadership Still Needed after Climate Bill

Expert BlogInternational, United StatesJake Schmidt, Joe Thwaites, Shruti Shukla, Brendan Guy
The Inflation Reduction Act has proven that the United States has the potential to lead on climate. But further actions are needed if the country is to deliver the global transformations necessary to tackle the climate crisis.

Congress Acts on Climate and Hands the Baton to Biden

Expert BlogUnited StatesDerek Murrow, Amanda Levin
What’s next for the Inflation Reduction Act and federal leadership on climate?

Inflation Reduction Act Can Fund Food Waste Solutions

Expert BlogUnited StatesNina Sevilla
The newly signed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides more than $300 billion in strategic investments to confront the climate crisis. This blog will highlight provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that can be leveraged for food waste reduction.
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IRA Hydrogen Incentives: Climate Hit or Miss? TBD.

Expert BlogUnited StatesRachel Fakhry
The climate benefit of the IRA hydrogen tax incentives is not guaranteed. It will all depend on implementation. Let’s do this right.

The Inflation Reduction Act: What’s Now Possible

Expert BlogUnited StatesAndrew Wetzler
Here are the key elements of the sweeping climate, tax, and health care legislation that President Biden signed into law.

Top Climate Elements in Senate Budget Reconciliation

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Derek Murrow, Amanda Levin
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutants by giving people clean energy choices at low cost reduce household and business energy bills.
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Massive Clean Electricity Progress in Sight

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Derek Murrow, Amanda Levin, Sam Krasnow
Enacting budget reconciliation legislation will accelerate progress toward President Biden’s goal of 80 percent clean electricity by 2030.

Climate Deal: What It Means for Public Lands

Expert BlogUnited StatesJosh Axelrod
The overall proposal includes the largest investments in climate change programs in history, but it also comes with an oil and gas industry chestnut.

The Senate’s Historic Opportunity to Lower Your Energy Bill

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Lauren Urbanek, Deron Lovaas
Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of carbon emissions in the United States—but the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will help to substantially reduce emissions from our buildings while lowering energy costs for consumers and improving…
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Taking a Bite Out of Climate Change, One Farm at a Time

Expert BlogUnited StatesMatthew Kaplan, Allison Johnson

Climate Bill Will Invest Big in Cleaning Up Heavy Industry

Expert BlogUnited StatesSasha Stashwick
Governments around the world that are committed to climate action must have policies aimed specifically at decarbonizing the industrial sector. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 does exactly that.

Senate’s EV Investments Will Cut Energy Bills and Pollution

Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Simon Mui, Luke Tonachel, Deron Lovaas
The newly released Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has strong provisions for reducing consumers’ pain at the gas pump, supporting American manufacturing and energy security, and improving public health and the climate by cutting pollution.
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Climate Change Renewable Energy Climate Adaptation Agriculture & Food Sustainable Finance Equity & Justice