A look at Rudy Giuliani’s environmental platform and record

Rudy Giuliani.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, talks up energy independence as a critical component of national security. He acknowledges that climate change is happening and that humans contribute to it at least to some extent, but he doesn’t often address the issue or other environmental concerns.

Key Points

• Recognizes climate change as a problem, but opposes mandatory limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Calls for an “intense focus” on energy independence, saying he would make it a priority to wean the U.S. off foreign oil within 10 to 15 years. His energy plan centers around “diversifying our energy portfolio.”
• Wants to increase U.S. reliance on coal, and calls for commercialization of “clean coal” technologies, including carbon sequestration.
• Supports coal-to-liquid fuel, saying it is “a very valuable contributor to energy independence.”
• Calls for the expansion of nuclear power.
• Calls for more biofuels, and supports a 51-cent-a-gallon tax credit for ethanol, as well as other biofuel incentives.
• Does not support increasing auto fuel-economy standards.

Video

Watch Giuliani answer a question about global warming at a New Hampshire GOP debate on June 3, 2007:

Watch Giuliani talk about energy and gas prices on the Late Show with David Letterman:

Watch Giuliani respond to a question about carbon caps:

Watch Giuliani explain his stance on energy independence during a June 12, 2007, speech in New Hampshire:

Quotable Quotes

• “I do believe there’s global warming, yes. The big question has always been how much of it is happening because of natural climate changes and how much of it is happening because of human intervention.”
  
  — Feb. 12, 2007, during a speech to business leaders in Santa Clara, Calif.

• “I think we have to accept the view that scientists have that there is global warming and that human operation, human condition, contributes to that. And the fact is that there is a way to deal with it and to address it in a way that we can also accomplish energy independence, which we need as a matter of national security. It’s frustrating and really dangerous for us to see money going to our enemies because we have to buy oil from certain countries. We should be supporting all the alternatives. We need a project similar to putting a man on the moon.”
  
  — June 3, 2007, at a debate between Republican presidential candidates

• “Nuclear power is dangerous. So is every form of power. But no one’s died from nuclear power in the United States. So our commitment here is to expand it, make sure it’s safe, and even safer, but that becomes a way we can move forward energy independence.”
  
  — June 12, 2007, during a speech on energy that he delivered in New Hampshire

• “Whatever your scientific conclusion about global warming, whether it’s man-made or it isn’t or whatever, the reality is … if you don’t have restrictions on China, if you don’t have restrictions on India, our contribution, ultimately, is going to be minor. We could put all these restrictions on ourselves and have just as much arguable global warming if China, India, some of these other countries that are going to be contributing a lot more to this don’t become part of some kind of system to create alternatives.”
  
  — March 26, 2007, on CNBC’s Kudlow and Company

• “Every potential solution must be pursued — from nuclear power to increased energy exploration to more aggressive investment in alternative energy sources. I believe that America can achieve energy independence through a national strategy that emphasizes diversification, innovation, and conservation.”
  
  — on the Giuliani campaign website

Platform & Record In-Depth

• As of Oct. 17, 2007, led all presidential candidates in contributions from donors employed by or otherwise affiliated with the oil and gas industry. The Center for Responsive Politics placed Giuliani’s contributions from such donors at $541,308 through Oct. 30.
• Is a name partner at Bracewell & Giuliani, a Texas-based law firm known for representing and lobbying on behalf of energy interests, including coal-fired power plants and oil and gas companies. The firm’s clients have included Enron, ChevronTexaco, Pacific Gas & Electric, Dynegy, Southern Company, Duke Energy Corp., and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association.
• Supports expanded offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters, including off the coast of Florida.
• Supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
• Supports relicensing of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County, N.Y.
• Has been accused of ignoring the toxic dust that settled over Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, and of doing little to protect recovery workers and residents from resulting environmental health threats.
• Tried to sell off hundreds of community gardens in New York City.

Still Haven’t Gotten Enough?

• Read Giuliani’s energy-independence platform on his campaign website.
• Read Giuliani’s official bio.

What did we miss? Tell us below in comments. We’ll update this page as the presidential campaign continues.

Kate Sheppard and Todd Hymas Samkara contributed to this fact sheet.