Biden-Harris Win: What It Means for the Environment

After a tempestuous campaigning season, a fraught Election Day, and a slow-moving "blue shift" from mail-in voters, on Saturday, November 7, Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the 2020 presidential race. In January, president-elect Biden will sworn in as the 46th president of the U.S. His running mate, VP-elect Kamala Harris, shattered ceilings in her own right - Harris will become the first woman (!!), first Black American (!!!) and first American of South Asian descent (!!!!) to hold the office of Vice President.

Much has been written about the challenges Biden will face in uniting a deeply polarized country and negotiating with what is expected to be a divided Congress. But one shining, huge, undeniable upside to the Biden-Harris win: we have a science-believer back in the Oval Office! The scientific community appears to be relieved by Biden's election - not surprising, given the massive problems they are being asked to solve (Covid-19 and climate change foremost among them).

From an environmental perspective, Biden's election feels like turning the wheel of a speeding car just as it's about to plummet off a cliff. As the planet continues to barrel towards climate "tipping points", Trump's deliberately retrogressive policies have only amplified the climate crisis and removed the U.S. as a global leader on action. Biden, on the other hand, has pledged to take serious steps on domestic climate action and to return the U.S. to international action groups. There are many climate-related areas that desperately need attention, and there are no shortage of opinions on how to get started.

So what might we expect on the environmental action from the Biden-Harris administration?

1. Investment in renewable energy sources.

In his list of Day One executive actions, Biden's first goal: "ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050." This plan includes milestone targets, investment in research and tech, and focuses on how we scale these technologies for communities across the country. This is a big, exciting goal that puts the U.S. back into a future-facing energy stance.

2. Rollbacks of the rollbacks.

Much of Trump's actions regarding the environment consisted of rolling back or altering dozens of policies and regulations in effort to free up businesses. Biden has pledged to "re-roll" these rollbacks, if you will: enforcing limits on methane emissions, implementing the Clean Air Act, and developing new fuel economy standards.

3. Battles with Congress.

We're still awaiting results from the runoff Senate race in Georgia, but it looks as though we're headed towards a divided Congress: Democrats have the majority in the House, Republicans will likely have a majority in the Senate. This means that compromise and negotiation will be critical to achieving any meaningful gains in terms of legislation.

4. Re-entry into the global climate conversation.

Per Trump's direction, on November 4th the U.S. formally left the Paris Climate Accord, abdicating its place of leadership in the global climate partnership and ceding that work to China and the European Union. While domestic action is deeply important, international cooperation is just as crucial - climate change affects the entire globe, and requires international cooperation and accountability. Biden has promised to immediately return the U.S. to the Paris Accord, and has pledged to push countries further in their commitment to climate targets to ensure that the burden of meeting these targets is appropriately carried by all.

5. Electric and zero-emissions cars could become commonplace.

One of Biden's campaign platform promises was to deeply invest in the infrastructure needed for electric vehicles, as well as supporting business training and investment to help the auto industry scale their production. In his past, Biden has been an advocate of stronger fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, so we can expect to see that push continue.

6. Require businesses to clearly disclose negative externalities like air and water pollution, emissions, and other climate risks.

Recognizing that "vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by the climate emergency and pollution", Biden has promised that polluting companies will be taken to task. Details are scant on exactly how this will take place, but one might expect that stronger regulations and disclosure mandates are in order.

7. Permanent protection of the ANWR (!!!) and stronger regulations on business activity taking place on public lands.

As you may remember, the Republican-led Senate was able to open the ANWR to drilling by slipping it into the 2017 tax-reform bill; it's been fought over ever since. In his Day One executive actions list, Biden has promised to take action on protecting the ANWR, by “banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters, modifying royalties to account for climate costs, and establishing targeted programs to enhance reforestation and develop renewables on federal lands and waters with the goal of doubling offshore wind by 2030.” Unfortunately, he won't have an easy time of it - yesterday, the Trump administration announced that it would begin accepting bids on drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, meaning that the Biden administration would have to unravel these contracts after the fact.

While Trump continues to protest over his failed re-election bid, the Biden administration is beginning to take shape and get itself organized for inauguration in January. We shall see how successful Biden will be in accomplishing any of the above promises - he had his hands very, very full - but a feeling of cautious optimism is prevailing. In these crucial years of our country, perhaps we can get back on track and continue to make progress.

Read all of Biden's Climate Plan at joebiden.com/climate-plan/.