Biden to Soon Announce Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target 'Double the Obama Administration Level'

President Joe Biden of the United States [Image source= AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to soon announce a strong greenhouse gas reduction target.

According to Bloomberg News, President Biden is expected to set a greenhouse gas reduction target twice as ambitious as that of former President Barack Obama. The announcement is likely to come before the Climate Summit on the 22nd to 23rd.

Former President Obama pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025. President Biden is expected to present a goal of reducing emissions by about 50% from 2005 levels by 2030.

An anonymous source told Bloomberg that the White House is discussing a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 48-50% compared to 2005 levels by 2030. Another source said a 53% target is under review.

Announcing an emissions reduction target by 2030 is in line with the Paris Climate Agreement joined in 2015. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty in which 195 countries agreed to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global average temperature rise from pre-industrial levels below 2℃. Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, but President Biden reversed this decision immediately after taking office.

Bloomberg reported that the Biden administration is considering an ambitious reduction target to regain international trust. This includes discussions about setting a target twice as large as that of the Obama administration.

Last year, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 23.8% lower than in 2005, nearly reaching Obama's pledged 26-28% reduction target by 2025. However, last year’s sharp decline is attributed to reduced driving and other activities due to COVID-19. In 2019, U.S. emissions were 14% lower than in 2005.

Environmental groups argue that the Biden administration should set even higher reduction targets. The United Kingdom and the European Union plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68% and 55%, respectively, compared to 1990 levels by 2030.

Although the Paris Agreement set the temperature rise limit at 2℃, there are calls to aim for 1.5℃ to avoid catastrophic climate change. John Kerry, Biden’s climate envoy, also mentioned the 1.5℃ target at a conference on the 1st.

Gustavo de Vivero, an analyst at the New Climate Institute, said, "To limit global temperature rise to within 1.5℃, the U.S. should set its greenhouse gas reduction target at about 57-63%."