After rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement on his first day in office, President Biden kept up the momentum for climate action, signing a series of executive actions for a federal response to the climate crisis this past Wednesday. Here are a few highlights:
- Re-establish the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,
- Identify climate change as a national security and foreign policy priority,
- Conserve at least 30% of U.S. land and oceans by 2030,
- Involve all federal agencies in environmental justice actions while also setting aside 40% of federal benefits to communities most impacted by environmental contamination,
- Pause all new oil and gas leases on public land and water,
- Initiate a Civilian Climate Corps to provide jobs in conservation, agriculture, and more,
- Create an interagency working group to assist coal and power plant communities during a transition to a clean energy economy.
photo credit: Energy News Network
