- Climate Crisis
- COP28
- U.S. Center at COP28

HomePolicy Issues...Climate Crisis

# The Climate Crisis: Working Together for Future Generations

Bold action to tackle the climate crisis is more urgent than ever.  The record-breaking heat, floods, storms, drought, and wildfires devastating communities around the world underscore the grave risks we already face.  Through our actions at home and our leadership abroad, the United States is doing its part to build a net zero-emission, resilient future that creates good jobs and ensures a healthy, livable planet for generations to come.

> 
Climate is not a trading card, it’s our future.
Antony J. Blinken**Secretary of State**

No country can solve the climate crisis alone.  Everyone must do their part.  Shortly after taking office, President Biden called world leaders together and urged them to commit to take the steps needed to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.  Many countries are strengthening their ambition, but stronger and more urgent efforts are needed to reduce emissions and to help the most vulnerable countries cope with devastating climate impacts.

DUBAI: **Implementing Our Commitments**

**U.S. Climate****Leadership**

**The Economic Promise****of Climate Action**

**World Leaders****Must Step Up**

## Dubai: Implementing our commitments

> 
 Despite the troubled road that has brought us to this point, I think in this moment we have a unique opportunity to significantly accelerate this transition to a clean energy economy.  We are at a different moment than we have ever been.  There is more than hope.  There is progress.  And in these next days, on the road to COP 28 and at the COP itself, we have the potential to reach a different kind of tipping point—a tipping point in the speed and breadth of our response.
John Kerry**Special Presidential Envoy for Climate**

More than 190 countries will gather in Dubai, UAE, from 30 November 2023 – 12 December 2023 for the 28th annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).  Countries must work to quickly implement existing commitments and make the additional commitments needed to keep the 1.5 degrees C goal within reach, and advance cooperative efforts on emission reductions, adaptation, finance, technology, and implementing the COP27 agreements.  This year, the United States is urging all countries to come to Dubai with climate targets that meet these goals, and efforts to implement adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

The United States heads into COP28 able to show progress on meeting our ambitious 1.5 C-aligned target, and we are fully committed to working with all countries to tackle the climate crisis.  Mobilizing a whole-of-government approach, the United States is scaling up action at home and abroad to put the world on a path to reach net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050 and to achieve the global goal on adaptation.  Learn more about the United States at COP28 and the U.S. Center.

## U.S. Climate Leadership

The United States is leading by the power of example.  The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to mobilizing a whole-of-society approach that enlists states, cities, businesses, civil society groups, and others to create a resilient and net-zero economy that benefits all.

The U.S. nationally determined contribution sets a target of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030.  With commitments announced by other leaders at the Leaders Summit on Climate, and additional pledges made over 2021, countries representing 65 percent of global GDP have announced commitments and targets to reduce their emissions to levels in line with keeping a 1.5-degree Celsius limit to warming within reach.  President Biden also pledged to work with Congress to quadruple U.S. support for developing countries – and enhance finance for adaptation efforts six-fold – by 2024.

**What’s in the Biggest U.S. Climate Legislation Ever Passed?**

President Biden and Congress made historic progress to meet the moment on climate by enacting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), marking the most aggressive and enduring action ever by the U.S. government in combating the climate crisis while improving energy security.  This legislation put the United States onto a path to achieve President Biden’s bold goals of reaching net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and cutting emissions in half by 2030.

AP image

**United States Progress Toward Climate Goals**

The United States continues to meet its stated climate goals.  With seven years to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, the U.S. government is engaged in multiple sectors, including electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, and agriculture, forestry and land use to meet this ambitious target.  For more, see the White House’s domestic long-term strategy to reach these goals.  In addition, the fifth National Climate Assessment to be published in Fall 2023, will analyze current trends in global change and project major trends specific to the U.S. in the coming 25-100 years.

              - Domestically , progress to date includes:  - Ambitious new targets , including those to cut overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent by 2030 relative to 2005 levels, 50 percent electric vehicle sales share by 2030, 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
- Passage of transformative laws – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – that are positioning the U.S. to cut emissions in half by 2030.  The IRA is the largest ever investment in clean energy and climate action; it is projected to deliver 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas reductions by 2030.
- The strongest passenger vehicle standards  in American history to increase average fuel economy to 49 miles per gallon by 2026 and  triple electric vehicle sales  since January 2021.
- Swift steps to cut methane emissions as the fastest and cheapest temperature reduction opportunity , including through strengthened EPA regulations on oil and gas methane mitigation and implementation of the $1.55 billion Methane Emissions Reduction Program and the methane emissions waste charge from the IRA.
- Over $240 billion in new clean energy manufacturing investments  since President Biden took office, and projections that the U.S. is on track to triple wind generation and increase solar generation seven- to eight-fold by 2030.
- The United States’ Sustainability Plan includes a host of ambitious goals to reduce the federal government’s carbon footprint, including transitioning to 100 percent carbon-pollution free electricity by 2030, 100 percent zero-emissions vehicle acquisitions by 2035, net-zero emissions by 2050, and more.
- Over $26 billion through the Infrastructure act to support nature-based solutions,  including over $2.1 billion for ecosystem restoration activities, over $3.3 billion for wildfire risk reduction, and almost $20 billion to support the uptake of climate-smart agricultural practices.

              - Internationally,  the United States is deploying an all-out effort to partner with nations around the world to reduce global emissions sufficiently to limit warming to 1.5°C. These efforts include:  - Strengthening global cooperation:  Rejoining the Paris Agreement, convening three Leaders Summits on climate since 2021, ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, making new pledges to multilateral climate funds, and leading ambitious efforts in various multilateral fora, including ICAO and IMO.
- Accelerating the clean energy transition : including through groundbreaking new partnerships with South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Egypt; the Net Zero World Initiative, Clean Energy Ministerial, and Mission Innovation.
- Combating deforestation at home and abroad  with a whole-of-government approach.  The United States is strengthening efforts to conserve and restore America’s forests and other ecosystems and investing in similar efforts around the world through international programming, assistance, finance, investment, trade and trade promotion, and combatting nature crimes and illegal logging.
- Tackling non-CO2 “super pollutants” including through the Global Methane Pledge , a coalition of 150 countries committed to keep 1.5°C within reach by cutting methane emissions at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030.
- Reducing global emissions from the shipping sector  –  Greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime shipping sector are significant, rising, and on a trajectory that is incompatible with the global temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.  Through the  Green Shipping Challenge , co-launched with Norway at COP27, the United States is leading the transition to zero-emission shipping as part of our commitment to tackle the climate crisis at home and internationally.
- Engaging the private sector  through platforms such as the Energy Transition Accelerator, First Movers Coalition, and the  Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate  that are mobilizing more investment, demand, and markets for innovative solutions in hard-to-abate sectors such as agriculture, heavy industry, and transportation sectors.

## The Economic Promise of Climate Action

Reaching global net-zero represents the greatest economic opportunity of our time.  This year, more money – $1.7 trillion worldwide – will be invested in clean energy technologies like wind, solar, EVs and batteries than is invested in fossil fuels.  In the U.S. the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are projected to drive growth in clean energy electricity from 42% in 2022 to 72-81% in 2030.  U.S. manufacturers can lead this global market in clean energy and emissions-reducing technologies.  Conserving forests, restoring ecosystems, and deploying climate-smart agricultural practices can enhance productivity while creating access to new sources of revenue.  Small businesses can grow by designing, installing, and innovating energy-conserving technologies and infrastructure.    

Smart investments in infrastructure, innovation and U.S. workers can build a zero-carbon economy that gives everybody a fair shot at the American Dream.

## World Leaders Must Step Up

All countries – especially the world’s major economies, including the U.S. – must contribute their fair share to the global climate effort.  Failing to keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive will produce more extreme events such as heat waves, floods, storms, wildfires, and droughts; significantly exacerbate global food insecurity; drive global migration; and act as a crisis multiplier that will pose grave national security threats.  If the international community fails to address climate change today, the costs of our inaction will be visible in our lifetimes and passed down to future generations.

> 
{We} all have a duty right now to our economy, to our competitiveness in the world, to the young people in this nation, and to future generations – to act boldly on climate.
Joseph R. Biden**President of the United States**

Countries must commit to a decisive decade of climate action.  By coming together to set bolder emission reduction targets, bolstering adaptation plans, and articulating national roadmaps to achieve those goals, world leaders can help chart a path for a more secure, prosperous, resilient, and sustainable future for all.

## U.S. Government Resources

**Environmental Protection Agency**

**U.S. Global Change Research Program**

**National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration**

Back to Top