Brainard has been pushing the US Federal Reserve to consider exposure to climate change in its regulation and analysis of banks. That’s sparked fury from Republican senators – and even a Nobel Prize winner.
The election of Joe Biden raised hopes of a new dawn in US environmental protections. But left-right views will continue to stymie progress, just as they do in Australia.
If history is any guide, the new US president’s forward-thinking approach toward refugee resettlement could help drive Australia’s commitments to refugee protection, too.