by Colin Koffel · June 12, 2014 2:51 PM

President Obama recently announced plans to cut power plant carbon pollution by 30%. But as LaunchProgress Co-Founder Poy Winichakul argues in National Journal’s The Next America series, this environmental victory needs to be expanded and defended by a new generation of policy makers:

If we want this plan to last, opportunities and answers lie with millennials. The president and the environmental community must do more to invest in this next generation of leaders, who will take up the mantle on climate change solutions.

Young voters care deeply about environmental issues but aren’t well represented in our legislatures:

In a recent poll by Harstad Strategic Research, 79 percent of millennials polled favor carbon pollution reductions to deal with climate change and global warming, compared to only 21 percent who opposed reductions. In a country where 82 percent of Hispanics and 89 percent of blacks support the regulation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and 70 percent of Asian-Americans consider themselves environmentalist, it’s not surprising that millennials—the largest and most diverse generation in America—support reducing carbon emissions.

While this progressive, problem-solving generation is ready to tackle climate change issues, we lack representation in our state houses and in Congress—only 8 percent of U.S. Representatives are under 40, compared to 53 percent of the country’s population. If the president wants progress on climate change, he must support young people running for public office.

Read Poy’s steps for eradicating the financial and structural obstacles young candidates face over at National Journal.

Want to learn more about Obama’s Clean Power Plan? The EPA posted a quick fact sheet.