Climate Change
“Yes, this is hard. But there should be no question that the United States of America is stepping up to the plate. We recognize our role in creating this problem; we embrace our responsibility to combat it. We will do our part, and we will help developing nations do theirs. But we can only succeed in combating climate change if we are joined in this effort by every nation –- developed and developing alike. Nobody gets a pass.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UN Climate Change Summit, September 23, 2014
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UN Climate Change Summit, September 23, 2014
- Cut Carbon Pollution
- Established first every national carbon pollution standard for power plants. The Clean Power Plan gives states flexible, cost-effective tools to cut pollution by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030 while preventing thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of childhood asthma attack by reducing other power plant emission
- Set standards to double to fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 2025 and established first ever fuel economy standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks
- American Business Act on Climate Pledge. Latest round of pledges in October, 81 businesses-representing all 50 states, 9 million people, and a combined market capitalization of more than $5 trillion-committed to support the Paris climate process
- Develop and implementing a strategy to reduce methane emissions; new technologies to detect and measure methane emissions
- Reduced the Federal Government’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 17% and set a new aggressive goal to 40% from 2008 levels by 2025
- Expanded the Clean Energy Economy
- Made the largest investment in clean energy in Am history, including support for thousands of wind and solar projects, loans for energy technology projects, investments in batteries and other advanced vehicle technologies, and support for large-scale carbon capture and utilization at coal-fired power plants. Resulting in dramatic increases in clean energy-with wind power tripling and solar power increasing by 30 times since the President took office
- Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program, modeled on DARPA, to drive transformational energy research breakthroughs
- Clean Energy Investment Initiative
- Led Global Efforts on Climate Change
- More than 190 countries came together to adopt the most ambitious climate change agreement in history. The Paris Agreement establishes a long term, durable global framework to set the world on a course reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. It ensures we can leave the planet a better place for our children and grandchildren.
- Reduced Air and Water Pollution
- First-ever national limits for mercury, arsenic, and other toxic air pollutants emitted by power plants
- New standards for cleaner gas and vehicles to reduce harmful air pollution
- Updated drinking water standards, protected drinking water sources, and modernized the tools available to communities to meet their clean water requirements, while providing affordable clean water services in rural communities
- Cut Energy Waste
- Better Buildings Challenge to enlist cities, states, utilities, manufactures, school districts, and businesses to improve energy efficiency, targeting heavy users such as data centers and outdoor lighting systems
- Prepared Our Communities for the Impacts of Climate Change
- Released the third US National Climate Assessment and advanced the development of a “sustained assessment” process to provide a steady stream of information on the current and projected impacts of climate change in the US
- Climate Data Initiative, Climate Resilience Toolkit, State Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force, National Disaster Resilience Competition
- Protected Treasured Natural Resources
- Permanently protected more than 260 million acres of America’s public lands and waters, more than any other president in history
- Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which designated more than 2 million acres of Federal wilderness and protected thousands of miles of trails and more than one thousand miles of rivers
- Announced more recoveries under the Endanger Species Act than has been done under any previous administration