US sets new Paris climate target that Trump is expected to ignore

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden’s administration has set a new US target under the Paris climate agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 61 per cent to 66 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035, a goal officials called achievable by states even if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on vows to reverse federal policies.

The new “nationally determined contribution” reflects ongoing impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure Bill on decarbonising the economy and policies by states that tackle climate change, US officials said.

“Our investments under this administration are durable and will continue to pay dividends for our economy and our climate for years to come, allowing us to set an ambitious and achievable 2035 target,” said Mr John Podesta, senior adviser to Mr Biden for international climate policy.

“We’re confident in America’s ability to rally around this new climate goal,” he said, adding that while Trump “may put climate action on the backburner, the work to contain climate change is going to continue in the United States”.

Under the Paris Agreement, nations must deliver new and stronger national climate action plans to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change before a deadline in February 2025. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must align with the target to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 deg C.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the President-elect has said he may once again withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement.

Trump’s transition team is recommending sweeping changes to cut off support for electric vehicles and charging stations and impose tariffs on all battery materials globally, Reuters reported this week. Trump campaigned on pledges to achieve US energy dominance through more fossil fuel production, not renewable energy.

An alliance of two dozen US states and territories, including New York, California and New Mexico, that have pledged to continue aligning policies with Paris Agreement goals set a collective, complementary goal on Dec 19 to meet the 61 per cent to 66 per cent target.

The US is not yet on pace to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent to 52 per cent by 2030, according to the Rhodium Group, which found that other major emitters, including the EU, South Korea, South Africa and the UK, are also not on target.

Research group Energy Innovation found that under current policies, the US can achieve a 46 per cent reduction by 2035.

So far, only the UAE and Brazil have announced new NDCs ahead of the February deadline. REUTERS