"This is a very big deal," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says about the official Green New Deal proposal—of which he is a "proud" original co-sponsor—in a new video shared to his social media profiles on Friday.

Unveiled on Thursday by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the proposal is not written "as specific, detailed legislation," Sanders explains. "Rather, it is an excellent, in my view, broad outline, pointing the way forward to address the existential crisis of planetary climate change."

Between clips of Ocasio-Cortez and Markey, Sanders celebrates the effort to enact climate and economic policies that ensure a habitable and healthy world for "our children and our grandchildren" while also creating "millions of good-paying jobs in the United States." In addition to expressing support for the resolution, the senator calls out the fossil fuel industry and President Donald Trump for stoking the flames of the climate crisis.

"Unlike the president of the United States, who sadly and pathetically denies the reality of climate change, and the human causation of climate change," the senator says, the Green New Deal "demands that the United States of America, the most powerful economy on Earth, lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and carbon emissions and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy."

I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal proposal. We must address the existential crisis of planetary climate change, while at the same time creating millions of good-paying jobs in our country. pic.twitter.com/ErH0Vrvj2V SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox.





— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 8, 2019

Earlier this week, in his rebuttal to Trump's State of the Union speech, Sanders also explicitly called for transforming the nation's energy system away from fossil fuels to sustainable sources. Although the senator has not yet announced whether he plans to run for the White House again in 2020, the response bolstered speculation that he will imminently launch another presidential campaign—and, at least according to The Atlantic, "Bernie Sanders is ready to rumble."

"The senator from Vermont has been huddling with staff in meetings and brainstorming on phone calls over the past few weeks, chewing over plans. Barring a surprise, last-minute change of heart, he will jump into the 2020 race, convinced he can win," the outlet reported Friday morning, citing people familiar with his plans. The report added that Sanders will likely announce an exploratory committee and rally in the coming weeks.