When Utah Republican Rep. John Curtis spoke at this year’s Aspen Ideas: Climate conference he was met with skepticism — skepticism that he and his party weren't serious about facing or finding solutions to the problem of climate change.
But for the past several years, Curtis has sought to rebrand the “climate denial” party into something like the “climate realist” party, insisting that Republicans can actually do more for the planet than Democrats.
In 2021, he founded the Conservative Climate Caucus to facilitate just such conversations between conservatives and others who are worried about the effect humans are having on our environment. The focus of the group being the study of practical steps that can be taken to mitigate carbon emissions while also mitigating disruptions to our daily life.
Other Republicans who have attempted to make climate a core pillar of their campaigns haven't faired so well. However, Curtis appears uniquely positioned to make this a winning issue for conservatives, easily winning re-election in 2022.
Young conservatives are more likely than other Republicans to support pro-climate legislation, and Curtis’ 3rd Congressional District, encompassing Provo, Park City, Moab and most of rural eastern Utah, is both solidly conservative and the youngest in the nation.
“Part of what motivated me was doing town halls and looking in their eyes and seeing how disappointed they were in their party,” Curtis said. “We can’t afford to lose the next generation of Republicans on this issue.”