By Josh Lederman - NBC News
The United States aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 as part of its new commitment to the Paris climate agreement, President Joe Biden announced Thursday.
Biden made the promise, called the
Nationally Determined Contribution
, when he spoke at the two-day virtual climate summit attended by dozens of world leaders since Thursday morning.
"These measures will put the United States on the path to a net zero emissions economy by 2050," Biden said in remarks from the White House.
"But the truth is that the United States accounts for less than 50% of global emissions. No nation can solve this crisis on its own, as I know you all fully understand," he added.
The president stressed that according to scientists, the current decade will be decisive in tackling the climate crisis.
"This is the decade in which we must make decisions that avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," said Biden, adding: "We cannot resign ourselves to that future. We have to take action on this and this summit is our first step in the path we will travel together. "
Biden rejoined the 2015 climate pact in February, reversing former President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the global coalition to curb carbon emissions.
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US greenhouse gas emissions plummeted last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which held back large segments of the economy. But as the country recovers, emissions are expected to rise again, and the Biden Administration is looking for a way for the country to meet even more ambitious targets than scientists say are necessary to avoid the worst effects of warming. global.
The Government has come under immense pressure from environmental groups and climate scientists to commit to an emissions reduction of at least 50%, compared to 2005 levels. Halve emissions globally by 2030 it is considered necessary if the world wants to meet the UN goals of limiting global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The most ambitious emissions reduction goal the United States has set to date, Biden's expected promise of a cut from 50% to 52%, is likely to face criticism from environmental groups who claim that doing so will fail to place the United States. to a leadership position.
The European Union (EU), for example, has promised a cut of at least 55% by 2030
, while the United Kingdom has promised 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035.
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The United States is pressuring the world's largest emitters to make equally ambitious cuts.
But after Trump abandoned the Paris Agreement, other countries are closely scrutinizing US actions to see if Washington will back up his tough talk with action and if they will be politically durable.
Biden Administration officials told reporters in a briefing before the announcement that the United States will also consider a "carbon frontier adjustment," better known as a carbon tariff, in which the United States would tax imports from countries that they do not have similar emission controls.
Although the U.S. Trade Representative's office has raised the idea before, others in the Administration, including the president's warming special envoy, John Kerry, have warned against it.
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The United States' previous promise for the Paris Agreement, set by President Barack Obama before Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement, was a cut from 26% to 28% by 2025. As part of the Paris agreement, it does not It is legally binding, countries were supposed to regularly update their pledges, with 2030 targets set ahead of the UN climate summit in November in Scotland.
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Meanwhile, Biden has set a goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington DC, Tuesday, April 20, 2021.AP Photo / Evan Vucci
However, his own Administration has chided other countries for setting goals that sound unrealistic in the long term while doing little in the short term.
The White House argued that it can achieve a 50% cut by the end of the decade by targeting the most emitting sectors
, including zeroing emissions from power plants by 2035, boosting energy efficiency for homes and businesses, reducing tailpipe emissions through regulations and incentives for electric vehicles and expanding "carbon sinks" such as forests and agriculture.
"We see multiple paths to achieve this goal," said an administration official.
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Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will open the climate summit on Thursday, with the participation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kerry.
World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, will attend virtually.
The summit is expected to start around 8 am ET.
