Big Changes Coming In US Energy Program

The United States under new President Joseph Biden has joined the growing world movement to combat climate change. In his first week in office, he called for a “whole-of-government approach” to achieve this end.

He ordered all federal agencies to purchase electricity that is pollution-free, and also vehicles with zero emissions. And he directed the Department of Interior to hold any action for new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and offshore.

He set two aggressive goals – the US must have completely clean electricity by 2035. There must be net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.

With these definite dates set for two specific programs, the US has joined China which has vowed to stop all carbon emissions by 2060, and Japan which set its own deadline of 2050 to end all emissions of greenhouse gases.

The European Commission has also established the European Climate Change Program for 20002004, calling on European Union countries to cut their collective greenhouse emissions by 55 percent of 1900 levels by 2030.