Biden wins: a game changer for international climate politics

The outcome of the US elections must serve as a game-changer in US international climate leadership. Unlike his predecessor who chose to ignore the science, the Biden administration has committed to putting his country back on track with the Paris Agreement goals, a great signal for the world.

Under Biden, the US must not only rejoin the Paris Agreement but must step up its obligations for equitable and transformative climate action, both at home and internationally. Polls consistently show the vast majority of American people support climate-friendly policies and expect leadership that protects them from the worst impacts of climate change.

In just the last three weeks, three major Asian economies, China, Japan and South Korea, have committed to go net-zero by mid-century and the US has a lot of catching up to do. Also, the European Union is gearing towards an agreement on its new climate pledge for 2030 by the end of this year in line with the Paris Agreement.

Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said: “This is great news for the fight against climate change in the world. Biggest emitters have the biggest responsibility in drastically reducing their emissions to avoid catastrophic climate change. Now the US have a chance to step up climate action at home and internationally.”

“In the Paris Agreement, all countries must submit new climate targets for 2030 by the end of this year. Though time is limited, Biden should still strive to come up timely with an ambitious emission reduction proposal for the US.”

ENDS

Contact:
Nicolas Derobert, Head of communications, nicolas@caneurope.org, +32 483 62 18 88