Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has acknowledged that global warming is real, but he has not released a comprehensive plan to address the climate crisis and our energy challenges. As one of his 12 Campaign Commitments, Mayor Giuliani has pledged to lead America towards energy independence, yet this commitment does not include any concrete goals, targets or timelines and is not coupled with a plan to address global warming. He supports developing more clean energy sources and increasing energy efficiency.¹ However, when it comes to the specifics of capping greenhouse gas emissions or increasing fuel efficiency standards, Mayor Giuliani has repeatedly said that he opposes mandates.² Instead he has suggested that “encouragement and incentives” can help spur polluting industries to take action.³ Like President Bush, Mayor Giuliani proposes a voluntary approach to solving global warming that keeps government on the sidelines while allowing corporations to make all the decisions.

On the campaign trail, Mayor Giuliani has been a consistent supporter of many of the dirty and unsafe energy policies of the past, and many of the policies that he supports would actually exacerbate the climate crisis. For example, he has suggested we should develop more domestic oil refining capacity. While Mayor Giuliani refers to advanced coal technology, he has not offered any plan to move toward the development of carbon capture and sequestration.⁴ In addition, he has suggested we should rely more heavily on nuclear power.⁵

Also like President Bush, Mayor Giuliani has many ties to Big Oil and other polluting energy interests, including through the work of his own law firm, Bracewell Giuliani. For example, while advocating for energy independence on the campaign trail, Mayor Giuliani’s firm has lobbied for Citgo, the state-run oil firm controlled by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.⁶ Additionally, the firm’s own website touts a quote describing the firm as “one of the top oil and gas finance practices.”⁷ Through the end of the third quarter fundraising period, Giuliani had received more than $500,000 from the oil and gas industry, more than any other presidential candidate.⁸

On other key environmental issues, Mayor Giuliani:

• Supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge¹⁰

*Mayor Giuliani did not return LCV’s Presidential Candidate Questionnaire. Information based on public record.