Sierra Club says it will commit resources to help 100 candidates next year

The Sierra Club on Thursday said it plans to have staff and volunteers back the efforts of 100 yet-to-be-selected campaigns across the country, making it the latest green group to commit significant resources to help elect candidates who vow to take action on climate change.

“2020 will be the climate election of our lifetimes, and the Sierra Club will be mounting our biggest effort ever,” Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement. “The climate crisis is here and now, yet Donald Trump and his enablers are endangering our health and our communities while abandoning the booming clean energy economy. That’s why, along with our more than 3.5 million members and supporters, the Sierra Club will be engaging and mobilizing voters to elect climate champions from city councils to the White House.”

{mosads}Environmental groups are pushing to make sure climate change is a central focus of the 2020 elections. What started as an effort by environmentalists for a climate-centered debate has now become a rallying cry from some Democratic presidential campaigns and echoed by sitting senators.

The groups have also banded together to raise funds for the eventual 2020 Democratic nominee. Green groups launched the Beat Trump Presidential Climate Unity Fund in April, with the goal of raising $1 million to hand over to the future ticket leader.

The Sierra Club said committing to assist 100 campaigns would be the largest effort the group has undertaken.

“We’re operating at such a larger scale than we ever have given the stakes,” Sarah Burton, Sierra Club PAC director, said in an email.