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Analysis: New climate law omits funding for resilience to weather disasters

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Mon, 2022-09-12 19:30 — mike kraft

Analysis | Climate law omits funding for resilience to weather disasters How much is devoted to ensuring that the nation's infrastructure is built to withstand mounting weather disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes and floods? Not much. Zero dollars, to be precise. Washington Post

The Inflation Reduction Act authorizes the biggest infusion of federal spending yet to tackle the climate crisis — roughly $369 billion to slash greenhouse gas emissions and bolster clean energy.

Of that $369 billion, one might ask, how much is devoted to ensuring that the nation's homes and businesses are built to withstand mounting weather disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes and floods?

Not much. Zero dollars, to be precise.

While the landmark law contains historic investments in curbing planet-warming emissions, it provides no money for making built infrastructure more resilient to disasters, even as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across the country.

“It includes absolutely nothing to ensure that buildings are built to withstand natural hazards at a time when natural hazards are expected to increase because of climate change,” said Gabriel Maser, vice president of federal relations at the International Code Council, a nonprofit organization that develops model building codes.

To be sure, the climate law does contain investments in resilience more broadly, including $25 billion for nature-based climate solutions and $1 billion for new and existing buildings to meet the latest energy codes. The bipartisan infrastructure law, which President Biden signed in November, also included investments in resilience.

Yet neither law would prevent new or retrofitted buildings from being swept away in floodwaters or burning down in a wildfire — the latter of which would release more emissions into the atmosphere.

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An earlier version of the climate package provided half the requested amount — $150 million — for hazard-resistant building codes. That version of the law, which passed the House in November, was appropriately called the Build Back Better Act.

But that provision was ultimately cut from the measure during private negotiations this summer between Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who insisted on trimming the package.

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