Galvanize Climate Solutions
National/International

Galvanize Climate Solutions

Co-founded Galvanize Climate Solutions, an investment firm designed to deliver capital and expertise to accelerate climate solutions.

Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force
California Climate Activism

Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force

Appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as his top economic advisor on the Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force. The Task Force helped launch the California Climate Action Corps – the country’s first statewide corps of its kind with the mission of empowering Californians to take meaningful action to protect their homes, health and communities against the harshest impacts of the climate crisis.

Presidential Run
National/International

Presidential Run

Ran for President of the United States making the climate crisis his number one priority, and led an effort to support the Biden-Harris campaign, bringing in over $17 million through Climate Leaders for Biden, while co-chairing the campaign’s Climate Engagement Advisory Council.

SB 100
California Climate Activism

SB 100

Worked to make California the largest jurisdiction in the world with 100% clean energy. Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 100 into law in 2018, committing the state to sourcing all clean energy by 2045.

Kept up the global momentum Kept up the global momentum
National/International

Kept up the global momentum

Sponsored the U.S. Climate Action Center in Bonn, Germany at COP23 in 2017, and in Katowice, Poland at COP24 in 2018, to show the world that despite the current occupant of the Oval Office, the United States is “still in” the Paris Climate Agreement.

Opposed dirty deals
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Opposed dirty deals

Advocated against proceeding with Trump’s infrastructure proposal that would decimate key environmental, climate, and labor protections.

Protected our coasts Protected our coasts
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Protected our coasts

Advocated against Trump’s DOI plan to open virtually all US oceans to offshore drilling, and held rallies, sent letters, and sponsored billboards to hold California Republican members of Congress who support offshore drilling accountable. Helped enact laws to stop offshore drilling along California’s coast.

Opposed Polluter Giveaways
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Opposed Polluter Giveaways

Advocated against the Trump Administration’s efforts to prop up economically unviable nuclear and coal through illicit rulemakings at the DOE and FERC.

Facilitated the gathering of voices Facilitated the gathering of voices
National/International

Facilitated the gathering of voices

Sponsored the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco and convened climate-related activities and forums in conjunction with the summit.

Stood up for what’s morally right Stood up for what’s morally right
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Stood up for what’s morally right

Advocated to remove EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt due to his mounting scandals and misuse of authority.

Advocated for the community Advocated for the community
California Climate Activism

Advocated for the community

Tom lobbied heavily and provided expert policy support to help ensure passage of bills which extend California’s cap-and-trade system through 2030 and implement strong new community air pollution protections (AB 398 and SB 617).

Spoke out for fossil fuel divestment
California Climate Activism

Spoke out for fossil fuel divestment

Tom called for the city of San Francisco to divest fossil fuel holdings in its pension funds.

Advocated for clean cars Advocated for clean cars
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Advocated for clean cars

Advocated against the Trump Administration’s efforts to weaken clean car standards by rolling back key CAFE provisions.

Lifted up the people’s voices to block a deadly power plant Lifted up the people’s voices to block a deadly power plant
California Climate Activism

Lifted up the people’s voices to block a deadly power plant

Tom helped to stop the construction of a new natural gas plant in an environmentally burdened coastal community with a large population of people of color and immigrants (Puente Power Plant in Oxnard, California).

Defended the Paris Climate Agreement Defended the Paris Climate Agreement
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Defended the Paris Climate Agreement

Advocated against the Trump Administration’s exit from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Opposed Arctic drilling Opposed Arctic drilling
Trump Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Opposed Arctic drilling

Advocated against efforts to open up coastal waters and the Arctic for oil and gas development.

Promoted environmental justice Promoted environmental justice
Research and Studies

Promoted environmental justice

Tom partnered with expert analysts to produce studies showing significant environmental justice and health impacts from power plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Joined activists Joined activists
States/Ballots

Joined activists

In Michigan, Tom worked with civil rights activist Van Jones, actor Mark Ruffalo, actress Antonique Smith, and local activists to call for action on the Flint water crisis.

Protected offshore areas
Obama Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Protected offshore areas

Tom called on the Obama administration to prevent the expansion of drilling in the Arctic and other offshore areas.

Exposed the risk of federal program Exposed the risk of federal program
Research and Studies

Exposed the risk of federal program

Tom provided expert analysis to the United States Department of Interior showing significant stranded asset risk and climate incompatibility of continuing the Federal Coal Leasing Program with no plan to a managed transition to a clean energy economy.

Deployed a campaign for clean energy Deployed a campaign for clean energy
National/International

Deployed a campaign for clean energy

NextGen launched a “50 by 30” campaign for clean energy and called on presidential candidates to provide plans for accomplishing this goal.

Upped usage of renewable resources
California Climate Activism

Upped usage of renewable resources

NextGen Climate launched a successful campaign to support California’s SB350 , which required the state to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources and double energy efficiency.

Put communities before coal companies Put communities before coal companies
California Climate Activism

Put communities before coal companies

In 2015 and 2016, Tom supported local activists in opposition to the construction of a coal export terminal Oakland, CA, ultimately succeeding in persuading the City of Oakland to enact a law stopping the project.

Launched NextGen Climate America Launched NextGen Climate America
National/International

Launched NextGen Climate America

Tom founded NextGen Climate America, which later became NextGen Policy – an organization that works to advance policies and programs to prevent climate disaster, address income inequality, promote economic prosperity, and protect the fundamental rights of every American.

Co-published the Risky Business report Co-published the Risky Business report
Research and Studies

Co-published the Risky Business report

Tom joined with former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to publish the Risky Business report, which examined the massive economic cost of the climate crisis in the country.

Launched NextGen Climate Launched NextGen Climate
National/International

Launched NextGen Climate

Tom founded NextGen Climate, which later became NextGen America, with the mission to act politically to prevent climate disaster. NextGen America is now the largest youth voter mobilization organization in history, and in 2019, it helped flip Virginia.

Opposed the Keystone XL Pipeline Opposed the Keystone XL Pipeline
Obama Administration Advocacy on Climate/Environment

Opposed the Keystone XL Pipeline

Tom opposed the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and lobbied President Obama to veto its construction.

Clean energy for kids Clean energy for kids
California Climate Activism

Clean energy for kids

Tom “almost single-handedly” financed Prop 39, which closed a corporate tax loophole to put $1.7 billion in California schools for clean energy and energy efficiency projects.

Leveraged science for solutions Leveraged science for solutions
Research and Studies

Leveraged science for solutions

Tom and Kat made a gift of $25 million to help launch an Energy Sciences Institute at Yale University. The institute brings together physicists, chemists, geologists, biologists, and engineers to develop solutions to the world’s energy challenges.

Stopped out of state oil companies Stopped out of state oil companies
California Climate Activism

Stopped out of state oil companies

Tom led a successful campaign against Prop 23, an effort by out of state oil companies to kill California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 . By protecting this vital law, Tom helped ensure that polluters pay for the damage they do to our climate and communities. Funds from this program now support clean energy efforts throughout California.

Spurred innovation Spurred innovation
Research and Studies

Spurred innovation

Founded, along with his wife, Kat Taylor, the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, which is housed at Stanford Law School and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and brings together the best minds from both disciplines to advance the development, financing, management, and regulation of the clean energy technology sector.

Supported creative approaches to clean energy Supported creative approaches to clean energy
Research and Studies

Supported creative approaches to clean energy

Founded, along with his wife, Kat Taylor, the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy to harness the skills and creativity of Stanford University’s leading science, technology, and policy experts to transform the world’s energy systems for a sustainable future.

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