Joe Biden on Climate Change

Joe Biden considers climate change the existential threat of our time, a position he formalized by rejoining the Paris Agreement on his first day in office and setting a national goal to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. His administration has enacted more climate action than any preceding one, primarily through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which together unlocked hundreds of billions in unprecedented investment toward clean energy technologies, manufacturing, and environmental justice initiatives. His approach is centered on incentivizing a transition to a clean energy economy through tax breaks, investment, and new sectoral standards, rather than relying on measures like a direct price on carbon or an immediate ban on all fossil fuel production.

Despite these significant achievements, including setting ambitious sector-specific targets like 100 percent clean electricity by 2035 and prioritizing environmental justice by directing 40 percent of climate funding to overburdened communities, the legacy remains incomplete. Critically, the U.S. continues to produce record levels of oil and gas, which has offset some climate gains. Furthermore, much of the policy's long-term impact relies on the successful, timely implementation of the IRA's tax incentives and the finalization of pending pollution standards across power plants and vehicles, all of which face political headwinds.