President Joe Biden has pledged to cut 50% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by 2030. An ambitious goal that would be met only by sharply cutting off oil and gas, as well as coal use.
Firstly, the plan was unveiled by the White House this Thursday; amid the Climate Summit that took place virtually this morning and will continue to Friday; a series of virtual conferences due to Earth Day, that congregates 40 world leaders.
Secondly, the new 2030 goal would nearly double the U.S. previous commitment from the Obama administration. Moreover, it goes along the mission to achieve net zero by 2050; which has been a milestone for the Biden administration, and the spearhead for its climate action on its first 100 days.
Thirdly, during the conference’s opening remarks, Biden urged the largest economies in the world to “step up” to the task and join the U.S. Biden underlined that “the cost of inaction will keep mounting, and scientists consider this is a decisive decade.”
Moreover, this voluntary pledged is known as Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC); countries in Europe, and in the United Kingdom, have already submitted new NDC’s. However, other major economies like Japan, South Korea, China, or even Canada, are yet to pledge NDC’s for 2030.
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400+ companies back Biden on its pledge
In addition, the Biden’s pledged has meet criticism, as the energy industry considers that this aggressive push will have a toll for American households. Even though Biden has linked this push towards transition with the keeping of good-paying jobs, not everyone agrees.
Furthermore, the American Petroleum Institute said in a statement. “The new U.S. nationally determined contribution addresses only half of the dual challenge of reducing the risks of climate change while ensuring affordable, reliable energy for all Americans.”
It also added. “With a transparent price on carbon and innovation, we can make measurable climate progress within this decade; without hurting America’s middle class, jeopardizing U.S. national security, and undermining economic recovery. We are focused on working with Congress and the administration on effective government policies; while accelerating industry initiatives and innovation as outlined in API’s Climate Action Framework.”
Finally, more than 400 major companies and businesses, like Apple, Google’s Alphabet and other, have signed an open letter, backing Biden on its plan. Altogether, such companies employ more than 7 million Americans, across 50 states.
