Biden climate plan shows good improvement, but still falls short

WASHINGTON – Vice President Biden released his climate plan yesterday.

Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth Action, issued the following statement in response:

Friends of the Earth Action thanks Vice President Biden for significantly improving his climate proposal. We are pleased to see the Vice President center Black, Indigenous and frontline communities of color disproportionately burdened by deadly pollution in the plan, and his pledge to invest $2 trillion to fight climate change over 4 years. This is a much needed and significant shift from the Vice President on the most pressing issue of our time.

Unfortunately, the Vice President’s plan still has many shortcomings including promoting false solutions like nuclear power, carbon capture and sequestration in the power sector, and the use of carbon markets in agriculture. The proposal also misses important opportunities to proactively guide the country in phasing out the production of fossil fuels; ending all public financing for fossil fuel projects; and cutting emissions and pollution from the industrial animal sector. Further, the plan falls far short in living up to the United States’ global mitigation fair share responsibility. As a result, the plan does not match the ambition necessary for the United States to meet its international climate change obligations.

Overall, we are encouraged and appreciate Vice President Biden’s willingness to strengthen his plan to fight climate change, and we will continue to push him and the Democratic National Committee to further improve the Democratic climate agenda.

Contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]