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Draft:Benji Backer

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Benji Backer

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Benjamin “Benji” Backer (born December 1997) is an American environmental advocate, author, and nonprofit executive.[1] [2] He is the founder and CEO of Nature Is Nonpartisan, a conservation organization launched in 2025,[3] and previously founded the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), a conservative environmental nonprofit.[4] In 2025, TIME named Backer to its TIME 100 Climate list of the most influential climate leaders.[5] He is the author of 2024 book The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future.[6]

Early life and education

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Backer was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, as the youngest of three children. He developed an interest in the environment at a young age and credits his childhood experiences with lakes, hiking, and waterskiing in shaping his lifelong connection with the outdoors.[7][8]

Backer became politically active at age 10 during the 2008 McCain–Obama presidential debates,[9] and as a young teenager, volunteered for Wisconsin Republicans including Scott Walker, Ron Johnson, and Reid Ribble.[10] He served as Wisconsin co-chair of Young Americans for Mitt Romney in 2012 and spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at age 16 in 2014.[11] Backer worked on the launch of Turning Point USA as a high school student in 2012 and was an early associate of its founder, Charlie Kirk. Although the two later disagreed on a range of political issues, Backer described Kirk as a longtime friend and, following Kirk’s assassination in 2025, publicly called for greater civility in political discourse.[12][13][14]

Backer graduated from Appleton North High School in 2016,[10] and in 2020 he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington.[15]

Career

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American Conservation Coalition

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Backer founded the American Conservation Coalition in 2017 while a student at the University of Washington.[15] The organization promotes market-oriented, limited-government approaches to environmental policy and an "all-of-the-above" energy approach that includes nuclear power, renewables, natural gas as a transition fuel, and carbon capture.[16][17]

In September 2019, Backer testified before a joint House hearing, "Voices Leading the Next Generation on the Global Climate Crisis," as the Republican-invited youth witness alongside Greta Thunberg, telling lawmakers that "climate science is real… it's not a hoax" while criticizing the Green New Deal and urging market-based bipartisan action.[18][19]

In April 2020, ACC released the American Climate Contract, presented as a conservative alternative to the Green New Deal.[20] Later that year, Backer undertook the "Electric Election Roadtrip," a 45-day, 19-state tour in an electric vehicle.[4] In June 2021, ACC held what was described as the first conservative climate rally, in Miami, and the group was credited as instrumental in the launch of the House GOP Conservative Climate Caucus.[2][4]

Backer served as ACC's president from 2017 to 2023, when he became executive chairman;[21] according to the organization, he stepped down as executive chairman in July 2025 and remains a board member.[22]

The Conservative Environmentalist

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Backer’s book, The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future, was published by Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on April 16, 2024.[6] The book argues for rejecting both climate denial and "doomerism."

Structured as a tour of American landscapes and industries — from Utah coal country and Texas oil fields to Louisiana wetlands and Rhode Island wind farms — the book contends that economic growth and environmental protection are mutually reinforcing, favoring local problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and market-driven innovation over centralized government mandates.[6] Backer points to examples such as partnerships between oil and gas companies and environmental nonprofits to preserve wetlands, and criticizes federal forest-management practices and the supply chains behind imported solar panels.[6][23] The book carries endorsements from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Van Jones, and MIT atmospheric scientist Kerry Emanuel, with Backer narrating the audiobook edition.[6]

Reviewing the book in The American Conservative, James P. Pinkerton praised it as a practical middle course between partisan extremes that revives Theodore Roosevelt's conservation tradition and incorporates the perspectives of rural Americans, writing that Backer seeks "solutions that work for everyone."[23] Backer promoted the book in television and radio appearances, including ABC's The View, where he argued for changing the narrative around climate change,[24] and in interviews with Milwaukee public radio station WUWM,[7] The Dispatch,[25] and The New York Sun.[26]

Nature Is Nonpartisan

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Backer launched Nature Is Nonpartisan, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in January 2025 with the goal of depoliticizing conservation.[3]

In June 2025, Backer led a high-profile campaign against Senator Mike Lee's proposal to sell millions of acres of federal public land, publicly accusing Lee of "secretly trying to sell 3 million acres" and refusing to back down when challenged; the proposal was scaled back and ultimately withdrawn amid opposition from Backer and a coalition of hunting and conservation groups.[27][28]

In 2026, Backer was featured as one of the principal subjects in the documentary The (Conserv)atives, directed by Nadia Gill and Dominic Gill. The film follows four conservative leaders working to advance environmental and climate issues within the Republican Party and premiered at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C.[29][30]

Public profile

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Political positions

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Backer says climate change is real and serious while sharply criticizing what he calls ‘climate alarmism,’ tweeting in 2021 that the climate movement "does more harm than climate deniers do."[2][31] He supports free-market, limited-government environmental policy, favoring innovation over regulation, and opposes the Green New Deal as "unrealistic."[1] He backs an all-of-the-above energy mix — nuclear, renewables, geothermal, natural gas as a transition fuel, and carbon capture — along with permitting reform,[17][2] and strongly opposes federal public-land sell-offs.[32]

Backer's posture toward Donald Trump and his administration has evolved from early opposition to progrmattic engagement followed by public criticism. In a 2016 CNBC op-ed, written at 18, he called Paul Ryan and other Republicans who endorsed Trump "sell-outs."[33] In September 2020, he said Trump "must prioritize climate to earn my vote."[34] After the 2024 election, he adopted a pragmatic approach to the second Trump administration, saying of its officials, "I'm going to work with them on this issue."[13] In 2025, Backer worked with Trump administration officials on the development of the "Make America Beautiful Again" initiative, which he described as a potentially significant investment in public lands, forests, water, and outdoor recreation.[5][17][35] In a September 2026 TIME op-ed, he subsequently criticized the administration's environmental policies, arguing that its approach to national parks and public lands was inconsistent with widely shared American support for conservation.[36]

His self-description has shifted in parallel. In 2018 he identified as a "Mitt Romney conservative;"[1] by late 2025 he had dropped partisan labels and said he holds some liberal views, including on reproductive rights.[13] As of early 2026, he considered himself politically independent.[37]

Honors and awards

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On October 30, 2025, TIME named Backer to the third annual TIME100 Climate list, its selection of "the 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action," alongside honorees including Pope Leo XIV, King Charles III, and Christine Lagarde.[38] The magazine cited his leadership of the campaign behind the "Make America Beautiful Again" executive order, which it described as an unexpected instance of common ground on conservation across political divides.[5]

Backer was also recognized by The New York Times as a Changemaker (2024),[39] Forbes 30 Under 30 in energy (Class of 2020, jointly with ACC co-founder Danielle Butcher),[40] Fortune's 40 Under 40 (2021),[41] the GreenBiz 30 Under 30 (2019),[42] and the Grist 50 (2019).[43]

He has served on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Climate Change Commission, the Brookings Institution's Commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity.[44] He has been appointed to the boards of the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum, BridgeUSA, and Mainstream Republicans of Washington.[45] He also also served as a Visiting Fellow on Energy with The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity[46] as well as a NextGen Advisor for GE Vernova.[47]

Reception

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Backer's work has drawn praise and criticism from both sides. The League of Conservation Voters' Tiernan Sittenfeld said in 2021 that acknowledging climate change is "not worth anything" absent policy support,[2] and the Sierra Club's Dan Ritzman called the Make America Beautiful Again order "the tiniest fig leaf on the most anti-environment administration in our country's history."[48] From the right, Grover Norquist attacked ACC's early openness to a carbon tax in 2018, after which the group went neutral on the policy.[1]

Personal life

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Backer married his wife in 2026. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.[49][50]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Nathanael. "Meet the 20-year-old Republican with an environmental agenda". Grist. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Plautz, Jason. "Meet the conservatives who want to fight climate change — their way". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 Kelsey, Brugger. "Big names join new bipartisan environmental group". E&E News by Politico. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Seitz-Wald, Alex. "A faction of conservatives pushes to build its own climate movement". NBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Shah, Simone. "Benji Backer: The 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025". TIME. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Backer, Benji (16 April 2024). The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future. Sentinel. p. 256. ISBN 9780593714003.
  7. 1 2 Tran, Lina. "Meet the young conservative pushing the Republican Party on climate". WUWM 89.7. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "Meet the 21-year-old conservative spreading a message about climate change". TODAY. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Farmer, Brian. "TNA Interviews High-school Student and Conservative Activist Benji Backer". New American. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  10. 1 2 Gabbay, Tiffany. "I Don't Give a S**t': Teachers' Alleged Bullying of Conservative Student Launches School District Investigation". Blaze Media. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  11. ↑ "CPAC 2014 - Benji Backer, 16 Year-Old Columnist and Conservative Activist". CPAC. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  12. ↑ Nawaz, Amna. "Reflecting on the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk". PBS News. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 Clarke, Owen. ""Whose side am I on? Nature's side"". Imagine5. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Trump administration officials remember Charlie Kirk a year after his killing". CBS News. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  15. 1 2 Morrow, Alison. "UW student creates national group for conservative environmentalists". King5. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  16. ↑ "About ACC". American Conservation Coalition.
  17. 1 2 3 Parshley, Lois. "Can protecting nature be nonpartisan?". Grist. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  18. ↑ Ortiz, Erik. "Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg tells Congress: 'Unite behind the science'". NBC News. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "Testimony of Benjamin Backer" (PDF). House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis ("Voices Leading the Next Generation on the Global Climate Crisis."). 18 September 2019.
  20. ↑ Teirstein, Zoya. "Meet the conservative answer to the Green New Deal". Grist. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "American Conservation Coalition (ACC)". Influence Watch.
  22. ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: Benji Backer Steps Down as Executive Chairman of ACC's Board". ACC. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  23. 1 2 Pinkerton, James. "The Practical Environmentalist". The American Conservative. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  24. ↑ "Environmental activist and author of 'The Conservative Environmentalist' Benji Backer joins 'The View'". The View. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  25. ↑ Hilu, Charles. "Conservative Environmentalists Hope to Help Reshape the GOP". The Dispatch. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  26. ↑ Koch, M.J. "A Young Conservative's Case for Environmental Activism". The New York Sun. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  27. ↑ Tanner, Jeremy. "Proposed sale of millions of acres of public land under GOP budget bill prompts backlash". The Hill. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  28. ↑ Robertson, Anna. "Conservative blasts Senator Mike Lee for 'secretly trying to sell' US land: 'It's a loser issue to the American people'". The Cool Down. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  29. ↑ "Advocates".
  30. ↑ Henseler, Kylea. "Can You Be Right-Wing and Care About the Environment? A New Film Says Yes". Outside. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  31. ↑ Caldwell, Jenna. "'Climate Change Doesn't Have a Political Party.' Conservative Environmentalist Benji Backer on Crossing Partisan Lines to Solve The Climate Crisis". TIME. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  32. ↑ Walls, Margaret. "Benji Backer Wants to Make Nature Nonpartisan". Resources Radio. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  33. ↑ Backer, Benji. "This 18-year-old conservative thinks Paul Ryan and others are sell-outs for supporting Trump". CNBC. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  34. ↑ "Benji Backer". Influence Watch.
  35. ↑ Spring, Jake. "How this group got Trump to sign a pro-environment executive order". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  36. ↑ Backer, Benji. "Trump's Attacks on the Environment Are Out of Touch With America". TIME. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  37. ↑ "Benji Backer: Nature is Nonpartisan". Climate One. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "TIME Reveals the 2025 TIME100 Climate List". TIME. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  39. ↑ "Climate Forward Changemaker Lunch". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  40. ↑ Toivanen, Gail. "2020 30 Under 30: Energy". Forbes. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  41. ↑ "Benji Backer: 40 Under 40". Fortune.
  42. ↑ "The 2019 GreenBiz 30 Under 30". Trellis. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  43. ↑ "Grist 50: 2019". Grist.
  44. ↑ "America's Rural Future". Brookings Institution.
  45. ↑ "Benji Backer". Fraser Institute.
  46. ↑ "A Conservative Takes on Climate Change". WYNC. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  47. ↑ "Future Leaders of Energy". GE Vernova.
  48. ↑ ""Make America Beautiful Again" Greenwashes Most Anti-Environment Administration in History". Sierra Club. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  49. ↑ "Benji Backer — Environmental Solutions Beyond Politics". www.benjibacker.com.
  50. ↑ "Benji Backer: Saving Our Parks, Protecting Water & Reconnecting with Nature | The Nikki & Brie Show". The Nikki & Brie Show. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
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