Joe Biden won the presidential election in the United States. This could mean the return of American leadership on the climate. Joe Biden reiterated his promise to join the Paris Agreement on the customer ...

With Joe Biden's victory, the United States will return to the Paris Climate Agreement

Joe Biden wants to develop renewable energy and "climate resistant" infrastructure AP Photo / Patrick Semansky

Text by: Christine Siebert

6 min

Joe Biden won the presidential election in the United States.

This could mean the return of American leadership on the climate.

Joe Biden reiterated his pledge to join the Paris Climate Agreement the same day President Trump's withdrawal took effect.

Publicity

“

Today, the Trump administration officially left the Paris Agreement.
And in exactly 77 days to reinstate the Biden administration

he said in a tweet.

Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement.

And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will join it.

https://t.co/L8UJimS6v2

Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 5, 2020

In reality, it will take a little longer.

Joe Biden could indeed make a request to join the Paris Agreement from the day of his inauguration on January 20, 2021. And thirty days later, the United States would reinstate this agreement which aims to keep global warming below 1.5 ° C.

The United States' carbon neutrality by 2050

Joe Biden has promised to adopt the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve it, he has pledged to invest $ 2,000 billion over four years, which represents 10% of US GDP.

Joe Biden wants to develop renewable energies and “climate resistant” infrastructure.

These investments will form the central pillar of its program to revive the economy and employment.

The energy transition promises to be difficult in this country, which is the world's largest producer of oil and gas, believes Cécile Marchand, climate campaign manager at Amis de la Terre France:

“

Today, we don't have a lot of information on what Biden is going to do in terms of energy policy in the United States.
He said he did not want to ban hydraulic fracturing, which is still very problematic since the United States is the leading producer of oil and gas, especially because of the exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons.
Today, due to the Covid crisis, many projects have been canceled or postponed but they could resume if there is an economic recovery and if the price of oil goes up.
Biden's arrival therefore does not necessarily mean that the United States is going to make its energy transition at the speed at which it should.

It is clear that without a strong citizen climate movement in the United States, it will not be a liberal like Biden who will put in place the policies that are necessary in the face of the climate emergency.

But, of course it can't be worse than Trump.

We are starting from such an aberrant situation -

Trump's position on the climate issue

- that we can only rejoice that Biden is at the head of the United States

”

Donald Trump's climate change policy

Donald Trump was noted throughout his mandate for his climate and environmental policy considered catastrophic by many observers.

As early as 2017, he announced his desire to leave the Paris Agreement, which he described as a "

disaster

" and "an

unjust economic burden

" for the United States.

Due to procedural rules, the exit from the Paris Agreement only became effective on November 4, exactly one day after the start of this long American election.

As soon as he took office, the Republican unraveled, one by one, the environmental measures of his predecessor Barack Obama.

According to the Climate Deregulation Tracker, Donald Trump has signed no less than 163 legislative and regulatory acts that have weakened the fight against climate change and pollution.

It has also prevented local initiatives to protect the environment.

For example, he revoked the exemption enjoyed by California to set more demanding automobile pollution standards.

He has also appointed people related to the fossil industry to key positions.

So climate skeptic Andrew R. Wheeler, who had a career in the fossil fuel industry, found himself head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency for environmental protection.

Hope to repair the damage

President Trump's anti-climate policy has been softened by the “We are still in” initiative, a network of 25 states, 430 cities and hundreds of businesses and universities that have decided to stick to the goals of the Paris Agreement.

With the arrival of Joe Biden, the United States will once again be able to play a role on the international scene in terms of climate, explains Cécile Marchand of Friends of the Earth France: “

It is important that the United States make a comeback. in international negotiations on the climate issue.
This is a strong signal that will also be sent to other countries that we absolutely need.

If the United States manages to lead by example, it will be able to persuade other countries to increase their efforts, in particular the large emitters who are still reluctant to show real climate ambition, such as Brazil, South Africa , India or Australia.

Another important lever: Joe Biden is committed to honoring international financial commitments to help poor countries increase their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

With Joe Biden's victory, the United States will return to the Paris Climate Agreement

With Joe Biden's victory, the United States will return to the Paris Climate Agreement

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