By Kristin Meek, C. Forbes Tompkins, David Waskow and Sam Adams for World Resources Institute 

In his final State of the Union address, President Barack Obama ranked the importance of a climate change strategy on a par with national security, economic equality and a more effective political process.

Noting that the nations of the world have agreed to tackle the impact of a changing climate, Obama said, “Now we’ve got to accelerate the transition away from old, dirtier energy sources … And that’s why I’m going to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet. And that way, we put money back into those communities and put tens of thousands of Americans to work building a 21st century transportation system.”

WRI President and CEO Andrew Steer applauded Obama’s stated intention to act on climate in his last White House year. “In its final year, the Obama administration should not rest. I’m delighted that the president seems to be considering additional actions to ensure that the U.S. achieves its emissions reduction targets and sets the stage for even more progress ahead,” Steer said.