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Biden administration to unveil more climate policies, urges China to toughen emissions target

Published 01/23/2021, 05:17 PM
Updated 01/24/2021, 06:00 PM
© Reuters. U.S. President Biden speaks about economic recovery plans during coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

© Reuters. U.S. President Biden speaks about economic recovery plans during coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

By Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration next week will release more policies it believes are needed to tackle climate change and is urging China to toughen one of its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, his top climate advisers said on Saturday.

Gina McCarthy, the White House's national climate adviser, did not say what policies would be released. A memo seen by Reuters on Thursday showed Biden will unveil a second round of executive orders as soon as Jan. 27 that include an omnibus order to combat climate change domestically and elevate the issue as a national security priority.

"We've already sent signals on the things that we don't like that we're going to roll back, but this week you're going to see us move forward with what's the vision of the future," McCarthy told a virtual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Biden, a Democrat who took office on Jan. 20, quickly issued executive orders canceling the Keystone XL pipeline that would import tar sands oil from Canada and rejoining the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Both of those moves reversed former President Donald Trump's policies. During his four years in office, Trump rolled back about 100 regulations on climate and the environment as he pursued a policy of "energy dominance" to maximize output and exports of oil, gas and coal.

John Kerry, Biden's special climate envoy, said a recent pledge by China, the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, was "not good enough." In September, Chinese President Jinping set a goal for his country to become carbon neutral by 2060, 10 years after the 2050 time frame favored by most countries, while also pledging a more ambitious short-term goal on emissions.

As secretary of state under former President Barack Obama in 2015, Kerry helped bring China to the table at the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Now, the Biden administration has begun to apply diplomatic pressure on countries to work harder on climate, said Kerry.

He talked on Friday with foreign ministers in Europe, who told him they had high expectations for the Biden administration after a lack of action on climate in the Trump years.

"'Yeah, we realize we come back with humility,'" Kerry said he told the ministers, adding that the majority of U.S. states and more than 1,000 mayors continued to move ahead on climate during the Trump years.

The United States, the world's second leading emitter, has to do better than getting to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, perhaps through emerging technologies such as capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air, Kerry said.

Tackling climate change did not mean a diminishment of lifestyle, such as driving less or not being able to eat meat, he said. The Biden administration, mayors and other local leaders will have to persuade Americans that curbing climate change "can be the greatest economic transformation in global history," Kerry said.

© Reuters. U.S. President Biden holds coronavirus response event at the White House in Washington

(This story was refiled to correct spelling of Xi Jinping in paragraph 6)

Latest comments

Republicans, not only sad losers but also science deniers. Climate change is real, deal with it!
Here we go again. All green inititives for the next 4 years. Its like that every time a democrat is in office. Remember Solyndra? If not, do research. All a scam.
With republicans in office, it will be 120 degree summer 12 months every year and a dead ocean full of oil spills and garbage. A mask wont save you! Wake up!
Thank God Adults are back in charge I won't even consider a republican ever again for any office  They simply don't know how to govern and really don't care to either
Mary had a little lamb and followed it everywhere she went ... and did everything the lamb told her to do.
Funny, Green Pres Still rides in gas guzzling motorcade and brand new Air Force One thst is NOT electric, wind or solar powered. Dream on hypocrites.
Even Better. Keep moving oil across America burning diesel in Semis instead of through a pipe!!
speak the truth, brother!
It's my understanding that the Keystone oil is being trucked right now.
So great to have a competent president again vs the crazy *****of the last 4 years!
Crazy ****** thats ALL been caused by the Dems. All of it......LeaksRussia NonsenseKavaugh liesUkraine BSFraudCorruptionGet uo in the faces if others congress peopleRiotsCompetent???How about Non Compus Mentus
Where's your wall. Where's your new health care? Deficit is uuge.. You were fed lies and you still can't see it.
A coutry that withdraw from paris accord 4 yrs ago now urge china to tighten green gas emmison. How hypocritical!!!
Very true, li. A flip-flop country.
Yep mental Trump really messed up our country.
Less energy output, higher cost of everything. Biden has just set inflation in motion.
Biden 1st days: 70k jobs taken from people; lied about not banning fracking; violated own mask mandate while sec of press downplayed it (Trump would be cruxified); destroyed women's sports; created an unsafe US by interfering with imigration and wall contruction; lied about having a plan for Covid; youtube deleting mass dislikes on Biden videos; people feeling remorse about having voted Biden. GJ. The US will be finshed in a matter of months.
What the heck are u babling about? Anything is better than trump
The US would be finished even faster if it's under Trump.
Tell that to the Cubans that came here to get out of socialismRobbie
biden saved our country
he resigned???
and put Trump in the hole forever.
there's no way of something going wrong with a PR who does n interview with Abe Lincoln watching his back
USA is a joke and now your a weak joke
Can't we just go back to the good ol'days and blame Canada.
buy PVDG stocks,
Chinese coal production and consumption grows 10% every year. China looks for industrial growth, while providing lip service about “climate change” for western fools.
Global Clean Energy ETF is going to the moon with this kind of news!
Will buy for 30K more of this
So far China is doing a lot more than the US who have simply exported it's pollution there. However, a brave new day and promising tones from Biden. Lots of opportunities in the green economy for those not stuck in the past
Hahhhahaahahahah
watching cartoons again?
Hope they set my country aside.
This is the SOUND of progress.
I really dont care who you voted for on 3Nov, but when you look at what is happening now, everything is just wrong. Lets be honest, the Biden administration is sneaky, weird, criminals records, corrupted and biden still picks them. Why?
Because "business as usual" ain't makin it.
where have you been for last 4 years. the most corrupt administration ever, Drumpf administration.
Totally irrelevant. DT is no longer president. JB is the problem now.
More pro-climate policies. Then the next 4 year, come a republican president to cancel the policy.... what a joke. This kind of government administration will bring US going nowhere. To compete with China is just a daydreaming. China has a solid government policy rushing forward, not entangled by parties' conflict.
yes and no.
Biden and his family are compromised by China. This is all a joke. China will be the first place he visits. He'll go see his buddies and get told what he needs to do next.
fydjt you really are brainwashed
Trolls, go climb under your rock for 4 years or so.
Russia CollusionYour a DOLT
Biden and his family are compromised by China. This is all a joke. China will be the first place he visits. He'll go see his buddies and get told what he needs to do next
buy GEVO, this company produces renewable bio fuels, and the co-founder scientist was chosen for Biden science committee
Maybe Biden should ban crypto "currencies" since mining is responsible for so much pollution
Is this the leader that the people believe is gonna change america for the better ?
Only the socialists. And low information voters.
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