Biden administration announces new US climate targets

Climate experts say a new emissions reduction target announced by US President Joe Biden's administration falls short of cuts that would be needed to prevent a temperature rise exceeding a global average of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), but that it is "close to the upper bound of realistic".

Government climate advisors announced commitments to reduce emissions between 61 and 66% by 2035, compared with 2005 levels. The target has been met with skepticism, particularly against the backdrop of President-elect Donald Trump's second term.

In a press call announcing Washington's new climate target, known as "nationally-determined contributions" or NDCs, John Podesta, senior advisor to President Biden for international climate policy, said that despite Trump's plans to put "climate action on the back burner", the work would continue to meet the goals.

"We're looking to governors, mayors, business leaders, and more to carry this important work forward, because the rest of the world will now be looking to them to show how many Americans still care about the future of our planet and our communities," he said.

Due to take office in January, Trump has in the past called climate change a "hoax". And during his first term, he withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement — an action experts say he is likely to repeat.

"Even though the Trump administration may not lift a finger to deliver on this plan, it sets a north star for what the US should be aiming for and could help guide the federal government’s priorities once Trump leaves office in 2029," said Debbie Weyl, Acting Director of the World Resources Institute US.

Rachel Cleetus, policy director and lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that as the world's largest historical emitter it was "fair and necessary" for the US to achieve and strengthen its goals in the future.

"The science is clear: limiting deadly and costly climate impacts necessitates that all major emitting countries quickly strengthen their emission reduction pledges," she added.

The US is the latest country to come forward with new climate targets. Nations have until February to submit their emission reduction goals for 2035. Only a handful have already done so.
 

United Kingdom phases out coal energy

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November that his country would aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81% on 1990 levels by 2035.

"We are building on our reputation as a climate leader," he said, urging the other parties "to come forward with ambitious targets of their own, as we all agreed at the last COP."

Starmer, who took office in July after his center-left Labour Party won the general election, has promised to turn the country into "a clean energy superpower." Speaking in Baku, he said the UK had closed its final coal power plant in September, making it the first G7 country to phase out energy from the fossil fuel.

Starmer's 2035 pledge was "a step in the right direction but must be seen as a floor to the level of ambition not a ceiling," Rosie Downes, head of campaigns with environmental group Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. She added that deeper and faster cuts were needed.

"With the warning signals flashing red, a planet battered by increasingly severe floods, storms and heat waves, and the election of climate denier President Trump, the need for climate leadership by the UK has never been more urgent," she said.

However, the UK's existing 2030 commitments were still way off course, she added.

Brazil still increasing oil and gas production

Brazil, which will host next year's COP30, has also unveiled its climate targets. It aims to cut emissions between 59% and 67% from 2005 levels by 2035. That equals a cut of 39% to 50% from 2019 levels, environmental NGO 350.org said at the time of the announcement. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a decrease of 60% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels is necessary to stay below the 1.5 Celsius threshold.

Brazil's decision to give a range rather than a fixed percentage figure has drawn criticism, as it creates uncertainty and weakens accountability, said Andreas Sieber, 350.org's associate director of policy and campaigns. "The lower range is unacceptably low, while the upper limit, though a positive step, should be seen as just the starting point."

Especially in its role as COP host next year, Brazil should lead by example, said Sieber.

While the country claims its investment in the energy sector with a focus on renewable sources is placing Brazil "at the forefront of the global energy transition," analysts have said the country is on track to increase oil and gas production 36% by 2035. Swiss-based research and advocacy NGO Oil Change International looked at how the "COP troika nations" Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan — who hosted or are hosting the climate talks — are doing in terms of climate action.

"The UAE and Brazil rank first and third in the world in terms of oil and gas expansion approved since the COP28 decision to transition away from fossil fuels," Oil Change International found.

United Arab Emirates leading oil, gas expansion

In its updated targets, the UAE said it was committing to achieving a 47% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2023, compared to 2019. While that was a slight improvement on the Gulf state's previous target of 40%, global civil society movement Climate Action Network called it "insufficient."

"The plan doesn't include any commitment to phase out fossil fuels or to stop the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure," said Mohamed Kamal, member of Climate Action Network Arab World.

350.org called it a "greenwashing exercise," adding that "it decided to bury its bad news on the day of the US election results," referencing the time the goals were announced. The NGO points to the glaring omission of exported emissions — the country exports most of its oil.

"The UAE now leads the world in oil and gas expansion, even after assuming the role of COP president with a mandate to transition away from fossil fuels," said Sieber. "This 'climate commitment' brazenly undermines its own credibility and COP presidential legacy."

"There can be no '1.5 degrees Celsius aligned' climate plans without explicit commitments to halt the production of fossil fuels and to stop generating energy from them," said David Knecht, co-coordinator of Climate Action Network's Ambition Working Group.

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

This article was originally published on 15.11.2024 and was updated on 19.12.2014 to include Washington's new climate goals.