America will be starting its emissions reductions efforts a decade later then the other developed countries, and so politically our near-term target is weaker than it needs to be be. This is not adequate from a scientific perspective, but it is an inevitable political result after a decade of delay and obstruction from Obama's predecessor, George Bush.
The House bill require a 17% cut – while creating a large pool of money to invest in strategies for reducing deforestation that would achieve the equivalent of a further 10% reduction. The 2020 target remains a subject of some debate. The 2050 target is a more than 80% reduction from 2005 levels. At a national level, he pledged US action on "slashing our emissions to reach the targets we set for 2020 and our long-term goal for 2050." For those who don't follow US climate politics closely, this means he is committed to passage through the Senate of a climate and clean energy bill with targets for 20 similar to those found in the recently-passed House of Representatives bill – which are also similar to what he campaigned on. In fact, Obama's announcement last week of national standards for new vehicle fuel economy and exhaust pipe greenhouse gas emission is "the single biggest step the American government has ever taken to cut greenhouse-gas emissions," as one US analyst put it.īut Obama also acknowledged that much, much more needs to be done. emissions is due in part to steps that promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy." And already, we know that the recent drop in overall U.S. President Obama pointed out that his administration has made remarkable strides in accelerating clean energy deployment and reversing emissions trends: "I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history. Yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead. It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat.
Obama became the first president to ever acknowledge that the US has failed to live up to its responsibility to act:
And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out. The security and stability of each nation and all peoples – our prosperity, our health, our safety – are in jeopardy. No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change.
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