Earlier this month, we published this blog (https://globalwarming.com/blog/the-biden-administration-and-its-focus-on-fighting-the-climate-change/) to outline the Biden Administration’s proposed plans for combating climate change. This week marks the end of President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office, which means we’ll be examining what his Administration has been able to accomplish so far.
JANUARY
JANUARY 20th – DAY ONE
- Biden issues a statement for the US to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, an international treaty to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of lowering the planet’s temperature.
- Biden signs an Executive Order to promote and protect public health and the environment while placing a focus on climate solutions.
- Key Takeaways From This Order:
- Continuing to measure the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC). a method of determining global emissions by expressing it as a dollar amount. The SCC helps with visualizing the effects of carbon emissions, and what can be done to diminish them.
- Biden signs the executive order, ‘Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,’ which outlines a detailed plan for the United States to tackle climate change within the country, as well as work alongside international leaders to reduce global emissions.
- Key Takeaways From This Order:
- Prioritizing climate crisis by centering it in foreign policy and national security.
- Creating a government-wide approach to fight climate change by forming a National Climate Task Force, chaired by the National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy.
- Introducing the Civilian Climate Corps, an organization projected to empower workers and provide jobs to build a sustainable economy and advance conservation, reforestation, and agriculture.
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY 11th
- The Biden and Harris Administration launches the American Innovation Effort, with an agenda to promote jobs that will combat the climate crisis and seek out advancements in environmentally friendly technologies
- The National Climate Task Force convenes for the first time, overseen by Gina McCarthy, to discuss ways of tackling climate change on a governmental scale.
MARCH
MARCH 9th
- White House has a meeting with Climate Finance Leaders, stating they will develop a climate finance plan that promotes the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments.
MARCH 18th
- The second meeting of the National Climate Task Force is held for government agencies to discuss their plans for implementing climate into their policies. Shortly after, The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces it will invest $218 million to assist the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
MARCH 22nd
- Biden’s National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy, meets with leadership from gas and oil companies to discuss ways of reducing emissions, while also seeking out low-emission technologies in hopes of further improving manufacturing in America.
MARCH 26th
- Biden formally invites world leaders to a climate summit on April 22-23.
- The White House announces the members of its White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PA pledges its financial support to WHEJAC.
MARCH 29
- The Biden Administration announces its support of rapid offshore wind energy, with aspirations to create jobs, expand developments in wind energy technology, and cut nearly 79 millions tons of CO2 emissions.
APRIL
APRIL 21st
- The third meeting of the National Climate Task Force is held, addressing the needs of drought-affected states in the Western US. Open enrollment into the CRP - Conservation Reserve Program – was also announced to invest in smart agriculture and mitigate climate change.
APRIL 22-23rd
- Biden holds a climate summit with world leaders. During the summit, Biden announces the US aims to reduce 50-52% of greenhouse gas emission levels by 2030. The detailed list of proceedings from the Climate Summit can be found here.
- Biden follows through on his January 27th executive order by releasing the details of The Administration’s International Climate Finance Plan. Known to be the first of its kind, this plan aims to assist developing countries in reducing their carbon footprint and move to sustainable solutions.
APRIL 28th
- Biden addresses a joint session of the United States Congress, covering a wide variety of topics related to the Administration’s policies. In his speech, Biden states the climate crisis as, “A global fight,” while also recognizing the potential for creating jobs in the fight against climate change.
What’s Next?
It could take more time before we can fully gauge the results of Biden’s climate plan. However, his administration has been taking steps to address the crisis at hand, while implementing policies to include climate into multiple facets of the US government. We can continue to keep our leadership accountable by staying up-to-date on the progress of these policies, while also taking our own steps toward building a cleaner world.