Green Tie Honors Champions

At its annual Green Tie Awards ceremony in Raleigh last week, the NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) recognized its non-legislative environmental champion award winners for the year.

Gene Karpinski, President of the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV), was honored with the 2023 Defender of the Environment award for his tireless work to bring about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act: the largest climate, environmental justice, and clean energy legislation in our country’s history. Karpinski has led LCV since 2006. LCV’s work nationally and in partnership with NCLCV and other state leagues across the country helped build the groundswell of support that President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and others have lauded as critical to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Sam Hirsch and Jessie Amunson, of the law firm Jenner and Block, were recognized with the Catalyst Award, given to those who have taken exceptional action to create change and to bring attention to an important environmental issue. Over the past two years, Jenner and Block has represented NCLCV in its cases to overturn partisan gerrymandering by the North Carolina legislature, one of the highest profile fights for our democracy in our state and our nation’s history. Those cases, Harper v Hall in North Carolina and Moore v Harper at the U.S. Supreme Court, were argued to protect democracy so voters can elect leaders who share their values rather than politicians choosing their voters.

“We are proud to recognize these champions of our climate and our democracy, Gene Karpinski, Sam Hirsch, and Jessie Amunson,” said Dan Crawford, NCLCV director of governmental relations. “The Green Tie is a celebration of the impact NCLCV has made, and there was much to celebrate. The Biden administration has taken steps to transform our country with its affordable clean energy plan. And while the NC Supreme Court egregiously and unconstitutionally overturned prior rulings, we will not stop fighting to protect our democracy.”