President-elect Biden will take office in January, ushering out the Trump administration’s four years that focused on anything but the climate. Biden plans to invest in green energy and has vowed to reenter the Paris Climate Agreement, which has been adopted by almost every nation, with the goal of addressing climate change. The U.S., which produces 15% of the world’s CO2 emissions, can drastically alter the way it fights climate change, but how will this impact the rest of the world?
It is essential to recognize the role that the U.S. plays in the global climate. The United States has the highest cumulative carbon emissions since 1750, at almost 400Gt of CO2. This is almost twice that of China, which stands at just over 210Gt of CO2. While these shocking numbers are over a long time, it remains true that the U.S. must bear the responsibility of repairing the damage done. There was progress in the fight against climate change, as emissions fell over 12% between 2005 and 2017, but in 2018 and 2019, emissions were once again on the rise.
This regression was furthered when the U.S. officially left the Paris Climate Agreement on November 4, 2020. Trump announced this intention in 2017 when he said that the agreement would harm the American economy and didn’t fit into his America First economic model. The impacts of leaving the Paris Climate Agreement would be significant on a global scale, not just due to the U.S.’s high levels of carbon emissions. Luke Kemp, of the Australian National University’s Fenner School of Environment and Society, provides a different perspective, as he stated that leaving the agreement would not significantly change the U.S.’s carbon emissions. This is because countries set their own targets for emission levels, and therefore can choose whether or not to work to meet those targets. For Kemp, a more concerning result of the U.S.’s withdrawal from the agreement is the lack of money directed into the U.N.’s Green Climate Fund, which supports developing countries in the fight against climate change.
Biden has promised to rejoin the Green Climate Fund when he takes office, and funds for this are not included within his $2 trillion budget for climate action. The U.S. still has over $2 billion promised (in 2014!), but not yet paid, to the Green Climate Fund. Many countries have doubled their promised contributions, and while it is not yet clear whether the U.S. will do the same, Biden has pledged to pay the $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund.
Reentering the Paris Climate Agreement will be relatively simple for Biden, as the U.S. would need to notify the UN and then pledge to reduce emissions. While this is straightforward, the work to actually keep that pledge will be difficult and expensive. The ambitious climate plan that Biden has released includes “an emissions-free electric grid in 15 years, and a target of net-zero emissions by 2050.” He has stated that climate change will be at the forefront of the U.S.’s foreign policy and trade, which will be possible through the imported goods needed to expand clean energy.
Trade has the potential to be one of the largest influences on the global climate beyond just the imports that will be used to develop a clean energy system in the U.S., such as solar panels and batteries. Biden also plans on imposing border tariffs on goods based on how carbon-intensive they are, and the European Union has similar plans in place. Trade policies would also be likely to incentivize companies and individuals to purchase clean energy products, which would impact the manufacturing country and the U.S..
While the U.S. has a significant responsibility to the environment, China does as well, as it is currently the top-emitting country of CO2 annually, producing 28% of the world’s emissions and over 10 billion tons of CO2 just in 2018. While China has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, this is just a change in policy that has not yet been shown in practice. As two major world players, the relationship between the U.S. and China is extremely important. As a result, Biden’s prioritization of the climate could cause the U.S. to push China to do the same by accelerating its efforts to reach carbon neutrality. However, this is more uncertain, as Biden’s administration does not see eye-to-eye with China on some trade issues, so trade that focuses on clean-energy between the two countries may face some obstacles.
There are plans to invest in current clean energy technologies, but Biden has stated that he wants to go further than this by investing in the development of new clean energy innovations. These efforts would not just be within the U.S., but would be in collaboration with other countries and their ideas for how to reach net-zero climate emissions.
Biden has explicitly said that he does not support the Green New Deal, which is far more aggressive than his own plan to tackle climate change. The Green New Deal (GND) supports the idea that the U.S. must be at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change because of its immense power and carbon emissions. While Biden’s plan may not be precisely what is laid out in the GND, there are several similarities in terms of the goals of the two. Both plans include efforts to create jobs for Americans, completely change the automotive industry, and support historically disadvantaged communities. One large difference between the two is in regards to fracking, which Biden has not condemned. Regardless, President-elect Joe Biden has clearly outlined a clear plan to combat climate change, which would be beneficial for the U.S. and the world as a whole.
Substantial policy changes, especially concerning trade, will obviously make a massive difference in the global fight against climate change. Beyond this, if Biden follows through on his promises, it would be a signal to the international community that the U.S. takes climate change seriously and is willing to do whatever it takes to fight against it.
Featured image from Axios
Written by: Liliana Taub, Guest Blogger and Social Media Intern, climatejusticenow.earth.