This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Americans do not care about the climate crisis, only economic issues: That’s the message some wonks have put forth in the past year, as the Trump administration has dismantled environmental protections. But the shift away from climate is misguided, an influential group of progressives is arguing.

“The climate crisis is a core driver of the cost-of-living crisis and instability we see across the economy,” says a new policy platform from left-leaning think tank Climate and Community Institute (CCI).

The proposal, “Stop Greed, Build Green,” outlines a framework for what its authors call “green economic populism.” Decarbonization should be understood not as competing with affordability, but as a potential tool for achieving it, says the group, which has written federal bills for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and was behind a groundbreaking New York public power law.

It’s a rebuttal to the growing Washington, DC, chorus claiming climate policy is politically toxic. “The strength of this approach is that it directly challenges the perception that reducing emissions will make your life harder and more expensive,” said Naomi Klein, a prominent author and founding advisory board member for CCI.

The think tank unveiled its “working-class climate agenda” at a recent New York City launch event, with speakers including Louise Yeung, Zohran Mamdani’s chief climate officer, representatives from the Democratic Socialists of America, and Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute. A week later, CCI took its message to Washington, meeting with lawmakers and hosting a day of panels with former White House officials, congressional staff, scholars, advocates and union leaders.

The advocates backed their proposal with new data: a recent survey by CCI and the progressive polling firm Data for Progress found that 70 percent of voters, including 65 percent of Republicans, believe climate action can lower the cost of living. That suggests working people—an audience long targeted by right-wing populists such as Donald Trump—may be receptive to green policies, they say.

“What we have to be focused on is the real pain that people are feeling in their everyday lives right now as a........

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