By Francis Hyatt
April 22, 2022
The House has taken a step in the right direction by passing the Resilient America Act, but more remains to be done
While addressing carbon emissions is critical, so too is investing in resiliency to address the climate impacts already coming. In 2021, NOAA reported 20 weather events with losses exceeding $1 billion each, not to mention the lives lost and the communities upturned. A recent report from NOAA found that U.S. coast sea levels could rise one foot by 2050.
The House passage of the Resilient America Act (H.R. 5689) is a step in the right direction. However, it is not a victory until it has passed the Senate and local governments act to invest in climate resiliency and adaptation.
That’s because we need an “all hands-on deck” approach and cross-sector, public-private partnerships. We need Congress, local governments, businesses, and communities investing in sustainable growth and preparedness now – through increased funding for resilient infrastructure, research and incentives for homeowners and businesses – before the next natural disaster strikes. After all, we’re only a little more than a month away from hurricane season and there are more than 13 large wildfires burning from Virginia to Arizona.
Francis Hyatt is the Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Liberty Mutual, where he leads Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives across the global enterprise.
