Bipartisan candidates across Maryland back effort to shift climate costs to fossil fuel companies, fund climate resilience, and protect taxpayers from rising costs

ANNAPOLIS, MD — As Southern states brace for a dangerous heat wave and Maryland records its first heat-related death of 2026, over 125 candidates for the Maryland House of Delegates and State Senate have signed a pledge to hold major fossil fuel companies accountable for climate-related costs. The pledge is a sign of direct support for the Responding to Emergency Needs from Extreme Weather (RENEW) Act Implementation legislation, which will be proposed next legislative session and would invest in climate resilience and public health by ensuring the largest, most polluting fossil fuel companies share the cost of climate impacts. Signatories included incumbents from the relevant committees, Republican and Democratic candidates, and candidates from every corner of the state. 

“Marylanders are paying the price for climate impacts right now,” said Brittany Baker, Maryland Director at CCAN Action Fund. “Extreme and chronic weather events become more frequent and intense, so it is vital that we pass the implementation phase of the RENEW Act to ensure the corporations most responsible for the climate crisis help pay for the damages. Maryland families can’t afford to pay for these rising costs alone.”

The RENEW pledge, organized by Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund, comes as Maryland communities and taxpayers face escalating climate costs. From dangerous heat waves to severe flooding, Maryland residents are already bearing the consequences of a warming climate. These impacts carry a steep financial burden; for example, statewide school air-conditioning upgrades, needed as extreme heat forces closures, are projected to cost $776 million.

“Like tobacco and opioids, the fossil fuel industry knew for decades that its products harm people and communities,” said Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of CCAN Action Fund. “Thankfully, 125-plus Maryland candidates for state office are ready to hold Big Oil accountable now. This is historic. It’s the right stance on one of the biggest issues of our time.”

The Office of the Comptroller is currently analyzing to determine the full statewide cost of climate change. Advocates emphasize that these costs should not fall on taxpayers, but on oil and gas companies that caused the climate crisis. As the election approaches, pledge organizers plan to continue expanding candidate participation and elevating the RENEW Act as a key issue for voters across the state. 

Notable Signatories include: Delegate Marc Korman, Delegate C.T. Wilson, Delegate Stuart Schmidt, Delegate Lorig Charkoudian, Delegate Malcolm Ruff, and candidates Bobby LaPin, Raaheela Ahmed, and Chuck Cook.

Read the full pledge and list of signatory candidates HERE.

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund is dedicated to driving change in public policies at the local, state, and national levels to address the climate crisis. Through voter education, lobbying, and participation in the electoral process, we seek to advance our country’s leadership in the global movement toward clean energy solutions — focusing our efforts primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. We know that a vibrant democracy is central to our success so we work to defend democratic integrity wherever we can.