Despite lame duck President Trump’s inability to concede and transition power peacefully, President-Elect Joe Biden is already talking of changes he plans to make once he takes office in January.
One of the most notable changes is his promise to reconsider the Paris Agreement. Back in 2016, the Obama administration entered the United States into the United Nations plan to combat the climate crisis that is plaguing the world as we know it. Obama pledged that the U.S. would fund a sum of about $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, $500 million of which he paid, just as he was leaving office.
Then came the Trump administration, with about $2 billion left to add to the former administration’s pledge. Current President Trump decided that he would instead pull the United States from the agreement that more than 180 nations are a part of.
June 1, 2020, Trump stated that the United States would be pulling out of the Paris agreement, and on Nov. 4 of this year, the U.S. began the process of withdrawal, ultimately leaving the agreement. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated, “President Trump made the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement because of the unfair economic burden imposed on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers by U.S. pledges made under the Agreement.”
President-Elect Biden tweeted, “Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement. And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will rejoin it.”
Biden has long spoken about his disapproval of the Trump administration’s mishandling of the climate crisis, and of what he plans to do in office to lead us in the direction of cleaner energy.
His plans include reaching a 100% clean economy by 2050, holding polluting corporations accountable for their influence on the environment and low-income communities, and enacting the Green New Deal.
Comparing the two administrations and their thoughts revolving around the climate issue, it’s evident that there is a substantial difference between them.
According to National Geographic, the Trump Administration favors Dakota Access pipelines, supports the growth of the fossil fuel industry, and has rolled back the Obama administration’s rules to reduce methane leaks. The Trump administration has also stated their support for the fracking industry, as well as the coal industry. Trump himself has also stated that he feels as though the issue of climate change is a “hoax.”
The Biden administration stands at the opposite end of the spectrum, in comparison to Trump, with Biden promising to end subsidies to fossil fuel companies, ban offshore drilling, and invest in renewable energy–an investment that Biden says will create many more job’s for hard working Americans.
NPR states that Biden pledges to implement $2 trillion towards a specific climate plan. The article, written by Elena Moore, asserts that, “40% of the funding will be used to support communities disproportionately affected by climate change, as laid out in his environmental justice plan.”
Unlike the Trump administration, Biden has not taken any financial campaign support from the fossil fuel industry.
Another notable mention are the possible contenders for Biden’s cabinet once he takes office. The New York Times alluded to the individuals who could potentially assist the President-Elect in the energy department. The article states that Washington governor Jay Inslee and Ernest Moniz are being looked at as possible contenders. Inslee ran for president with a fierce focus on environmental issues, and Moniz worked for the Obama administration as energy secretary.
The prospect of President-Elect Biden’s plan to tackle the climate crisis seems promising, and with the climate clock ticking, only time will tell if Biden’s plans–if executed as intended–will indeed bring about the change the environment so desperately needs.
