On the “vision” page of his campaign website, he says, “Clean, renewable sources of energy represent one of the biggest economic opportunities in a century. And the threat of climate change is real and immediate. We must make better choices for a more secure and independent energy future—by limiting carbon emissions, setting renewable energy targets, driving innovation, seeding new industries and creating good local jobs.”

But he also has a track record of action. As governor, he established a statewide Commission on Climate Change shortly after taking office in 2007. “Protecting our communities from climate change is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue—it is a Maryland issue,” he said at the time. “This executive order charts a path for the future—one in which we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and work to prevent sea level rise and coastal flooding.”

In his executive order, he said, “As reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICPP) in March 2014, the effects of climate change are already occurring on all continents and across the ocean, and numerous opportunities exist to respond to and mitigate associated risks. Human activities, notably the burning of fossil fuels, continue to contribute to the causes and consequences of climate change.”