Statement by Tom Steyer on Chile's Withdrawal as Host of the 2019 UN Climate Talks

(SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, 2019) — Presidential candidate for the Democratic nomination Tom Steyer released the statement below in response to Chile pulling out as host of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and the COP25 climate talks to focus on re-establishing public order in the nation:

"President Sebastian Piñera's decision to abandon his promise to host international climate talks in Santiago is nothing less than alarming. Confronting the climate crisis is urgent and requires leadership at home and partnerships with our allies around the globe. I urge President Piñera to act quickly and find common ground with activists to address the income inequality and social justice issues in Chile. Now more than ever, global leaders have the absolute responsibility to step up and act immediately to address the needs of people most affected.

In the face of this crisis, the United States should be at the helm, but with Donald Trump as president, that is of course, impossible.

America deserves a president who will lead by example to tackle the climate crisis. On my first day in office, I would take immediate action to protect the wellbeing of the American public, and re-establish the United States' role as a global leader in our fight to solve the climate crisis. We cannot do it alone, but we can lead the world in creating a sustainable future while creating millions of good-paying, union jobs and cleaning up our air and water."