Joe Biden’s Climate Change Agenda

For many, one of the alluring aspects of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign was his return to the problem of climate change, where he put forward a new agenda contrasting with that of the current president, Donald Trump, to tackle this prominent world issue. Many promises were made, including a desire to re-enter the United States in the Paris Agreement, which Trump had recently removed the country from. Since Biden won the presidential campaign and is set to become the 46th US President, many have turned their attention to his upcoming green campaign which has been called ambitious but still sparks hope.

Many are hopeful that Biden will see his plans on climate change through. In his first interview as president elect with NBC News, Biden stated that, in his first 100 days of president he would roll back Trump’s actions and executive orders regarding the environment, including reversing the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Biden had already previously stipulated that he would re-enter the US into the Paris Agreement (an arrangement under the United Nations in which every country agrees to globally and collectively address climate change.) This agreement was entered into by Obama during his presidency and was then abandoned by Trump.

However, there is a lot in Biden’s way when it comes to making the USA ‘greener’, as Nature writes: ‘but whether he’ll be able to deliver on his climate agenda — the most aggressive ever put forth by a leading US presidential candidate — remains to be seen, especially because he will face a powerful Republican opposition in Congress.’

Biden seems to be preparing to hit the ground running when it comes to climate change, recently nominating Ex-US Secretary of State John Kerry as ‘Climate Envoy’. Kerry was pivotal arranging the original Paris Agreement in 2016, and his appointment has left many hopeful that Biden will be making good on his environmental promises. According to the BBC, ‘The Biden transition team said the position would see him “fight climate change full-time”. He is also set to be the first official dedicated to climate change to sit on the National Security Council. Mr Kerry signed the Paris climate agreement on behalf of the US in 2016. The deal committed countries to working to limit the global temperature rise.’

Quoted in Nature, Vicki Arroyo, executive director of Georgetown University’s Climate Center in Washington DC said: ‘“This is really the first time that a US president is leading with climate”… that’s exciting, she says, but suggests cautious optimism: global warming is still a partisan issue on Capitol Hill, dividing Republicans and Democrats, and “that is going to limit what Biden can accomplish”.’

The Biden plan for climate change has made several promises, including: making sure that the U.S. achieves 100% clean energy and net-zero carbon emissions no later than 2050. Infrastructure will be approached with climate change in mind. He promised to not only recommit to the Paris agreement, but ‘rally’ the rest of the world to meet climate change, integrating climate change into trade, foreign policy and security. He said he would ‘stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities,’ and, support communities and workers who have powered America whilst they move to more eco-friendly practices.

According to Nature, ‘the single biggest opportunity for Biden to advance his climate goals through Congress could be bipartisan legislation that creates a carbon tax to reduce US greenhouse-gas emissions — an idea that has backing among many conservatives and business leaders who are concerned about the climate.’

On Biden’s campaign website, it stated: ‘Joe Biden knows there is no greater challenge facing our country and our world. That’s why he is outlining a bold plan – a Clean Energy Revolution – to address this grave threat and lead the world in addressing the climate emergency. Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face. It powerfully captures two basic truths, which are at the core of his plan: (1) the United States urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the scope of this challenge, and (2) our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected.’

Biden’s promises, if achieved, have left many around the world hugely optimistic. On the U.S. potential re-joining of the Paris Deal, which included policy of which sought to limit rising temperatures to 1.5C, Bill Hare, who’s part of the Climate Action Tracker, which monitors the world’s carbon cutting plans, said to the BBC: “with Biden’s election, China, the USA , EU, Japan, South Korea – two thirds of the world economy and over 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions – would have [commitments toward reaching] net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, This could be an historic tipping point.” Putting the 1.5C target within reach.