President Biden begins the 2021 Global Leaders Summit opening session by saying that the theme of the meetings is about more than preserving our planet and that they are also about providing a better future for everyone. The fight against a changing climate will require progress on both fronts.
Biden’s Remarks On Limiting Temperature Rise
The President then outlines the overarching agenda: “We must try to keep the Earth’s temperature and — to an increase of — to 1.5 degrees Celsius“. According to the Paris Climate Agreement, and other similar targets, the goal is to limit global emissions to 1.5 degrees Celsius relative to preindustrial levels by mid-century (the year 2050). Limiting the mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees could substantially decrease the likelihood of severe weather-related, risks such as drought, intense precipitation and storms.
Biden makes it clear that the economic imperative for every country involved is to “create good-paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts.” Put simply, the goal of the summit is to figure out how to reform the world’s economies with sustainability in mind.
Moving economies in a “greener” direction involves calculating ways to lessen our environmental footprint across sectors. This may mean generating more clean electricity (electricity derived from renewable resources and does not cause pollution), improving vehicle energy efficiency standards, or more sustainable farming strategies.
Biden On Creating Green Infrastructure
Biden emphasizes the need to reform America’s economy by investing in infrastructure and initiatives aimed at addressing climate change. Addressing climate change, according to Biden, is an extraordinary opportunity for creating new jobs in America. Creating new jobs for Americans will be key to phasing out preexisting, unsustainable markets and empowering newer ones.
Establishing a green economy has become a global interest in recent decades; likely due to an emerging scientific consensus that warns about the consequences associated with a warming climate. Can the United States rely on its leadership to make foundational amendments to physical structures -roads, power supplies, organizational buildings, and homes in time?
The Biden Administration has posited a proposal that is aimed at investing in America’s Clean Energy Revolution, creating jobs, and incentivizing eco-friendly innovations in energy and agriculture. Biden’s Plan was passed this November 2021 and is estimated to cost $1.7 trillion in redevelopment and resilient infrastructure modifications. The so-called “Clean Energy Revolution” will likely come in the form of gradual divestments from preexisting fossil fuel-based business models across sectors, to facilitate safe and steady transitions to more sustainable alternatives.
