Biden plans to halve US emissions by decade’s end

The new target was announced ahead of a virtual climate summit, attended by 40 world leaders, and convened by Biden, which took place on 22 April.

The Obama administration had previously promised to cut US emissions by 26–28% by 2025. In a speech to the Institute of International Finance on 21 April, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that climate change calls for ‘nothing less than transforming important sectors of the global economy, especially... how we generate power and move people and goods.’ 

However, the administration has not provided precise details of how the ambitious GHG reductions will be achieved. An official White House press statement promised to support energy efficiency upgrades to buildings, invest in EV charging infrastructure and develop ‘very low carbon’ fuels for aviation – among other measures. 

In late March, Biden unveiled a $2tn infrastructure plan that includes $174bn in EV incentives, $85bn for public transit and $80bn for improvements to long-distance rail and freight services. An additional $100bn will be spent modernising the US electricity grid, while $200bn has been earmarked for fortifying the homes of low-income communities hit by climate-linked disasters. 

Biden’s climate push comes after four years of stalled progress under Donald Trump, who pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement. Biden has since rejoined the pact. Despite recent progress, the United States still lags behind Europe when it comes to climate ambition. The EU recently agreed to cut its GHG emissions by a minimum of 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.