At a climate summit this week, the United States just committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The Biden administration is hoping the goal will encourage other countries to do likewise in the collective effort to fight global warming. Specifically, the US’ goal is to cut emissions by 50 to 52 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 — a goal British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called “game changing.”
Photo: Alex Lerner/Shutterstock
The US Sets Ambitious, “Game Changing” Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target for 2030
Other countries made similar pledges, with Japan’s PM Yoshihide Suga aiming to cut emissions to 46 percent by 2030, and Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau announcing plans to cut emissions by 40 to 45 percent by 2030.
The US emissions goal is expected to be reached through cuts to power plants, automobiles, and other industries. Specific details of these cuts haven’t been released yet, but Biden’s proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan could help reach this greenhouse gas emission goal. It establishes a clean energy standard to achieve net zero emissions in the power sector by 2035, and a plan to transition to electric vehicles, Reuters reported.
The new emissions goal is part of a broader campaign to completely decarbonize the US economy by 2050. 