Environmental Group Backs Sanders, Warren in Dual Endorsement

(Bloomberg) -- The endorsement of the deep green environmental group Friends of the Earth is in for 2020: the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

The left-wing group known for opposing fossil fuels announced Thursday it was making a rare dual endorsement of “true progressives” Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for president.

“The future of people and the planet depends on a bold progressive champion leading the United States,” Erich Pica, the group’s president said in a statement. “Both Senator Warren and Senator Sanders support strong policies ranging from a Green New Deal and breaking up Big Agriculture companies, to fighting for economic justice and protecting our democracy.”

The group said it backed both candidates for their plans to phase out fossil fuels, spend trillions fighting climate change, as well as their policies on corporate agriculture and workers’ rights.

“Our dual endorsement recognizes that there is an ongoing battle for the soul of the Democratic Party and the future of the United States,” Pica said. “For far too long, Democrats have recognized huge structural and planetary problems like climate change, yet have offered ineffective, incremental centrist policies as solutions.”

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane

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