As expected, Earth Day 2021 has ushered in important and welcome commitments from the White House on climate issues:
President Biden has announced a U.S. target of “a 50-52 percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution in 2030,” and a “goal to reach 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.”
The "Fact Sheet" press release identifies investment “in infrastructure and innovation” as key to this target: “America must lead the critical industries that produce and deploy [] clean technologies,” and must “improve and broaden the set of solutions.”
In a second announcement, the Biden Administration commits to “scaling-up international climate finance,” to prioritizing “climate in public investments,” to “making capital flows consistent with low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways,” and to enhancing climate reporting and transparency.
President Biden hit the nail on the head today in his pronouncements at the Leaders Summit on Climate: “this moment demands urgency. Good ideas and good intentions aren’t good enough”; “The United States isn’t waiting. We are resolving to take action”; “No nation can solve this crisis on our own … all of us … we have to step up.”
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