What’s Happening
As countries submit their Nationally Determined Contribution reports ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate summit, the Biden Administration, led by Climate Envoy John Kerry and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, released a long-term climate plan laying out the path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The plan emphasizes the need to limit global temperatures rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in order to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. It also reaffirms the Biden administration’s goals of reducing U.S. emissions by 50-52% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and illustrates twelve pathways to net-zero in 6 different sectors: electricity, transportation, carbon removal, industry, buildings, and non-carbon dioxide gasses.
The price tag for the new legislative framework comes to $555 billion. Included in the proposals are:
- Addressing “legacy pollution,” which are pollutants that are still affecting the environment long after they were originally introduced, especially in disadvantaged areas
- Establishing a Civilian Climate Corps
- Doubling financial aid to developing countries to tackle climate change, which comes to $11.4 billion by 2024
Why It Matters
This plan comes at a critical moment when countries around the world are committing to significant climate-related goals at COP26. U.S. leadership on the issue of climate change on the world stage is imperative, and this plan stakes out a clear position. It represents the Biden Administration’s last-minute attempt to formulate a domestic climate plan that the President hopes will represent the United States’ renewed leadership on the global stage.
ACC’s Take
There is consensus that we should aim for net-zero emissions by 2050, so the administration charting a path toward that goal is important. The White House plan emphasizes critical components of a successful climate strategy including nuclear energy, carbon capture and carbon sequestration technology, advanced battery storage, and even natural climate solutions. However, while the plan does not exclusively focus on federal government action and includes innovation, non-federal action, and all-of-society responses, there is little focus on the regulatory barriers that still exist to the deployment of clean energy technologies. We can only tackle climate change as quickly as we can build the technologies and infrastructure to do so.
Moreover, while President Biden seeks a domestic climate agreement that he can point to during negotiations in Glasgow, little is said about his long-term strategy to incentivize emissions reductions around the world and hold countries like China accountable for their actions. In the context of COP26, it is important to put forward solutions that are attractive, replicable, and realistic for countries around the world.
Quote Me on It
“The United States can and should lead the global response to climate change. President Biden is right to emphasize the importance of clean energy incentives, resilience, and natural climate solutions in his Long Term Strategy. Yet, this plan fails to explain how President Biden will hold the world’s worst polluter, China, accountable, as well as how he will ensure that Americans can have access to affordable energy.” – VP of Government Affairs Quill Robinson