Biden sets 60 percent greenhouse gas reduction target
The Biden administration on Thursday upped America’s commitment to reducing planet-warming emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement weeks before President-elect Trump is set to take office.
The NDC also includes a commitment to cut methane, which remains in the atmosphere for less time than carbon dioxide but is more potent at warming the atmosphere, by 35 percent.
The incoming Trump administration is likely to discard the goal. The president-elect has falsely claimed human-caused climate change is a “hoax” and campaigned on ramping up fossil fuel production in a second term.
Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris agreement during his first term and is likely to do the same when he takes office in January.
However, the new targets could serve as a potential model for cities and states as they seek to chart their own course on climate with little federal support in the second Trump administration.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
States and municipalities are preparing to take the lead on climate action in a second Trump term as they brace for an administration likely to be less climate-focused and sometimes antagonistic to their efforts.
Southern Californians who have long been enduring a cross-border influx of sewage may now have some reasons for optimism, following two parallel developments this week.
The U.S. Mint has unveiled designs for quarters featuring important women in history, including journalist Ida B. Wells and tennis player Althea Gibson.
House Republicans have reached an agreement on a plan B to avert a government shutdown ahead of Friday’s deadline and plan to vote on Thursday, lawmakers announced.
After Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) handling of an end-of-year spending deal has thrown his future into uncertain territory ahead of a critical Jan. 3 Speaker vote, House Republicans have reached an agreement on a plan B to avoid government shutdown. Read more
