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Green group influencing Biden admin has deep ties to Chinese government

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/green-group-influencing-biden-admin-deep-ties-chinese-government

Green groups’ ties to China will be ‘top priority’ for House Republicans after midterms, GOP spokesperson says

By Thomas Catenacci | Fox News

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a major U.S. green group that has influenced Biden administration policymaking, has deep ties to the Chinese government.

The NRDC, a non-profit organization based in New York City with total assets exceeding $450 million, has worked on climate issues extensively in China since the mid-1990s and several of its top officials have worked for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or government-sponsored institutions.

The NRDC also maintains a close working relationship with President Biden’s administration. The NRDC’s former president, Gina McCarthy, served as Biden’s climate czar up from January 2021 until earlier this month. Current president, Manish Bapna, has attended at least two White House meetings, visitor logs reviewed by Fox News Digital show.

The NRDC regularly communicates with Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s office on policy issues, according to internal State Department emails obtained by the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust and shared with Fox News Digital.

On its website, the NRDC highlights its collaboration with a “wide range of Chinese and international partners” to boost green policies and “fortify” environmental regulations in the country.

The NRDC, though, rarely condemns the communist government in China despite the nation’s massive world-leading carbon footprint and its commitment to fossil fuel energy. China accounts for about 27% of total global emissions — nearly tripling the total in the U.S., the world’s second-largest emitter, according to Rhodium Group — and continues to approve and construct a large amount of coal power plants.

“China has made a serious commitment to turning its cities into healthier places to live and currently leads the world in renewable energy installation and electric vehicle penetration,” the NRDC website states.

While the group has a sizable international program that extends into Canada, India and Latin America, its sole office outside the U.S. is located in Beijing, China’s capital city. The NRDC’s Chinese language website states the office is registered under the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and supervised by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China.

The NRDC’s most recent tax filings showed that the Chinese office is staffed with 35 employees and has a $4.2 million annual budget. By comparison, the group’s international work in North America, South America, South Asia and the Middle East has 11 staffers and a $1.1 million annual budget.

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