Joe Biden’s green initiatives are good for the climate
The Biden administration has put climate policy at the heart of its “build back better” agenda to boost prosperity and has made a move to promote equity by ensuring that at least 40% of the benefits of its climate policy go to historically marginalized communities with specific commitments to environmental justice.
Biden believes that the Green New Deal is a key framework for addressing the climate challenges we face. It remarkably captures two fundamental truths at the heart of his plan:
- America urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the magnitude of this challenge
- Our environment and economy are completely connected
Thursday was a “win-win” for U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as he underscored the department’s commitment to fighting climate change by buying clean materials. A Biden administration delegation was led by Mr. Buttigieg, Deputy National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi and the Chief Executive of the United States. General Services Administration Robin Carnahan cites the Cleveland-Cliffs plant as an example of what the administration is looking for: energy-efficient manufacturing made in America that powers everything from electric cars to wind turbines.
Joe Biden’s green initiatives will help the environment
Some have criticized Biden’s environmental policies on the premise that they will eliminate jobs, a popular argument in Republican opposition to Biden in the 2020 election. Biden countered that his policies would actually create jobs in the transition to a green economy. There is also an argument that, if left unchecked, climate change will cost far more jobs than any climate action taken by a Biden administration. According to Energy Innovation, a plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050 could save $3.5 trillion if implemented now, compared with a scenario starting in 2030.
The environmental policy of the Biden administration has been described as a return to the climate policy of the Obama administration to reduce carbon emissions, with the goal of protecting the environment for future generations. However, going back to Obama’s policies and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will not be enough to stabilize the climate, according to a letter to the administration from a group of young climate activists. Others criticized Biden’s environmental policies for being too conservative and said they were less thorough than those proposed by politicians such as the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins, who created the original version of the Green New Deal, or Biden’s main rivalry. Rival Bernie Sander.
The Biden plan would make a historic investment in our clean energy future and environmental justice at the cost of removing Trump’s tax incentives to enrich businesses at the expense of American jobs and the environment. Biden’s climate and environmental justice proposals would mobilize $1.7 trillion in federal investment over the next decade and additional private sector, state and local investment totaling more than $5 trillion. President Trump’s tax cuts have prompted trillions in stock buybacks and created a new incentive to move profits overseas. Joe Biden believes we should instead invest in the clean energy revolution and create jobs at home.
Joe Biden’s green initiatives have helped the environment
Biden also understands that we are all moving toward a cleaner future. Speaking recently at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he praised the efforts cities and states have made on their own over the past three years in the absence of the federal government.
President Biden welcomed thousands of guests to the White House on Tuesday to celebrate the passage of the Lower Inflation Act — the most aggressive step America has taken to fight climate change while promoting environmental justice and saving families money. On Wednesday, he visited the Detroit auto show to celebrate the U.S. electric-car manufacturing boom fueled by his economic plan.
Established the first-ever White House Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to ensure that the voices of historically marginalized, underserved and overburdened communities are heard at the White House and reflected in federal agency policies and investments. The committee made broad recommendations that could be used to implement the Justice40 initiative, as well as other policies and programs across the executive branch.