[ad_1]
US President-elect Joe Biden has promised the largest investment in climate policy in US history. But how much can really change, if Republicans retain power in the Senate?
One of Joe Biden’s electoral promises is to get away from the oil industry. Stock Photography.
– First, Biden will apply for re-entry into the Paris Agreement, which Donald Trump made sure the United States just left. He has promised it for a long time, says Björn-Ola Linnér, professor of international climate policy at Linköping University.
– This cannot be stopped by the Senate, since the emission reduction commitments are not binding. Then you can do it with a simple presidential decree.
Joe Biden has said that the country will be climate neutral by 2050. He has also promised a two trillion dollar recovery package, which will include green jobs and investments in climate neutral energy sources. And in the last debate of the presidential elections, he said that the United States will undergo a change away from the oil industry, if it reaches the presidency.
– It is a very strong sign of how the political conversation has changed, that it is possible to say such a thing when you know that you have to win votes in states where so many jobs depend on the fossil fuel industry, says Björn-Ola Linnér.
TT: But what does it mean in practice for Republicans to retain a majority in the Senate?
– Of course, it is a strong limiting factor. But at the same time, there are Republican senators who believe that Republicans must have an answer to the climate problem. Then you can see what alliances can be built, says Björn-Ola Linnér.
He points, for example, to representatives of Republican states that have been badly affected by extreme weather, where the climate problem has recently begun to occupy an increasing place.
– In addition, there is a growing crowd of young conservative Christians, who have a great interest in the climate issue from the perspective of creation. For them, it’s about managing God’s creation. It is an important constituency for many Republicans. So I think there is a certain space to find alliances, says Björn-Ola Linnér.
During Donald Trump’s time in power, nearly a hundred environmental and climate regulations have been withdrawn or weakened. This has been facilitated by the fact that Donald Trump has replaced the director of the country’s conservation agency, EPA, with a person with close ties to the oil industry. Joe Biden has said that he wants to rebuild the authority of the EPA and recreate these laws. But Björn-Ola Linnér thinks it may be easier said than done:
– There is an uncertainty there, because there are issues that may arise in the Supreme Court. There, the majority has now changed in favor of the Republicans. Then you could run into a patrol.
– But regardless, the EPA will be able to significantly exchange its climate work with Joe Biden as president, assesses Björn-Ola Linnér.
