Make Polluters Pay in DC

Climate change is already costing us…now!  Who will pay for the damage and necessary mitigation – the taxpayers or those who caused the crisis in the first place?

This was the question driving Third Act DC’s July member meeting, which presented the climate campaign gathering momentum nationally, Make Polluters Pay.  DC is already suffering heat waves, unpredictable flooding, and other extreme weather events – like this past winter’s snowcrete storm. In 2025, DC had more flash flood watches than any other major city.  Meanwhile, in 2023, the three largest oil and gas companies in the US reported combined profits of $85.6 billion dollars. They are bringing in record profits as the climate crisis worsens.

New York and Vermont have already created superfunds which will force big polluters to pay their fair share of climate damages and mitigation.  And thanks to the efforts of our new mayor Janeese Lewis George and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), DC is moving ahead with similar plans.  CCAN leads the Make Polluters Pay coalition in the DMV region, of which Third Act DC is a member, and CCAN campaigns coordinator Claire Mills was the guest speaker at our meeting.

Claire outlined the first phase of the Make Polluters Pay campaign.  Led by Councilwoman George, the DC Council is allocating funds for a study to determine what is causing climate change in the city and who is responsible. After that, legislation could require responsible parties to pay their fair share into a compensation fund for the damages of climate change. The fund could repair infrastructure, install air conditioning in public buildings and schools, improve stormwater management, and help build a clean energy future.

If you’d like to learn more, the link to our July meeting recording is here. Password is:  6+.HjqN5.  The presentation begins at 11:22.