The United States officially rejoined the Paris climate agreement today, boosting global morale in the fight against climate change. The Biden administration, which took office last month, plans to significantly reduce U.S. carbon emissions over the next 30 years.
Biden ordered the return to the Paris climate agreement on his first day in office last month, and after 30 days, it officially took effect, to the delight of scientists and diplomats alike.
The agreement, negotiated in Paris in 2015 and signed by nearly 200 countries, aims to prevent the consequences of catastrophic climate change. The U.S. was originally a signatory, but former President Trump withdrew from the agreement during his presidency after claiming that climate action was bad for the economy, making the U.S. the only country to withdraw from the agreement so far.
Reuters reports that U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will participate in a video event today to signal the U.S. return to the Paris agreement, with appearances by the U.S. ambassadors to the U.K. and Italy, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and U.N. Special Envoy for Climate Goals and Solutions Michael Bloomberg.
Biden has pledged to bring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero (net-zero) by 2050, meaning emissions can be offset by recycling. Scientists believe this goal is in line with what is needed today, but global emissions must be cut in half by 2030 to avoid the most devastating consequences of global warming.
Kerry is working with Gina McCarthy, Biden’s domestic climate adviser, to draft new norms and incentives that seek to step up deployment of clean energy and transition away from fossil fuels.
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