international-climate-policy

April 13, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, in advance of the new US Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, the Sierra Club released a fact sheet showing a path for the US to reduce emissions at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The fact sheet -- which offers a sector-by-sector analysis of the coal, oil, fracked gas, clean energy, and clean transportation industries -- underscores how advocates have created emissions reductions that outweighed what analysts predicted. Ultimately, the fact sheet shows that it is achievable and necessary for the US to commit to an NDC of reducing emissions at least 50 percent by 2030.

January 27, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to center the climate crisis in U.S. foreign policy and national security for the first time. Included in the order is a call for the U.S. to build on its commitment to the Paris Agreement, including starting the process of developing the United States’ new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the Agreement, to be announced before Earth Day. The order also reaffirms President Biden’s commitment to decarbonize the U.S. power sector by 2035, achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, begins the process of ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, will convene world leaders on climate on Earth Day 2021, and directs all federal agencies to integrate climate considerations into their international work. The Administration is also announcing the development of a new plan aimed at ending all international financing of fossil fuel projects with public money.

January 20, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Joe Biden will fulfill his promise to start the process of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement on day one of his presidency. According to the terms of the agreement, the U.S. will legally re-enter in 30 days, on February 19, 2021. Nearly 70 percent of Americans, including a majority in all 50 states, support the U.S. participating in the Paris Agreement.

December 11, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Five years ago tomorrow, the Paris Climate Agreement was reached among 195 countries to limit further increase in global temperatures and stave off the worst effects of the climate crisis. Just last month, the Trump Administration completed the process to formally withdrawal the U.S. from the agreement. However, President-elect Biden has recognized that climate change is the “number one issue facing humanity” and has committed to rejoining the Paris Agreement on day one of his presidency.

November 23, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, President-elect Joe Biden announced he will be nominating Antony Blinken to serve as Secretary of State. According to reports, Blinken will focus the beginning of his tenure on rebuilding relationships with U.S. allies, reestablishing U.S.

November 23, 2020

Washington, DC -- Today, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he will be appointing former Secretary of State John Kerry as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Kerry will serve as a cabinet-level appointee and on the National Security Council, the first time in history that the Council includes a member solely focused on the climate crisis.

November 4, 2019

WASHINGTON — Today, Donald Trump formally began the process of withdrawing the United States from the historic Paris Climate Agreement. The earliest the U.S. will be able to complete the withdrawal is one year from today, November 4, 2020, which is the day after the next Presidential election. It would only take 30 days for a new administration to rejoin the deal.

November 4, 2019

WASHINGTON — Today, Donald Trump formally began the process of withdrawing the United States from the historic Paris Climate Agreement. The earliest the U.S. will be able to complete the withdrawal is one year from today, November 4, 2020, which is the day after the next Presidential election. It would only take 30 days for a new administration to rejoin the deal.

October 23, 2019

PITTSBURGH -- Today, while giving the keynote address at a fracked gas conference, Donald Trump touted rolling back bedrock clean air and water protections and falsely claimed both that the United States has already withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and that the American people support his decision to leave the landmark Agreement.

September 25, 2019

MONACO -- Today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere (SROCC). The report, which comes just after a devastating report last fall from the IPCC on the urgency to act on the climate crisis, found sea level rise and melting ice caused by the climate crisis will be even more dire than originally predicted.

August 7, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today issued a special report detailing climate impacts already being seen on lands, and the importance of improving land management and land protection and restoration to address the climate crisis. Among the key findings of the report is the essential role for lands in drawing down and storing carbon dioxide pollution from the atmosphere. The report also drives home the urgency of action-- stressing that delay in greenhouse gas emissions reductions is closing the window to combat the effects of the climate crisis on lands, creating lasting harm to wild places, wildlife, food and water supplies.

May 31, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.