On his first day as the POTUS (President of the US), president-elect Joe Biden will immediately put the battle against climate crisis on his top priorities. He will start by blocking the Keystone XL pipeline and rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.

NY Times
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Biden's stern action towards combatting climate change has experts warning him that the environmental battles would not come in easy and will definitely take a significant effort during his presidency.

In an action plan laid out by Biden and his incoming term, for his first day of presidency, he will take leaps ensuring the United States will return as one of the contributing countries that will enforce the plans prepared during the Paris Climate Accords. This is to respond to his predecessor's decision to exit the coalition.

He will be sworn in on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

After his oathtaking, aside from rejoining the Paris accords, he is also set to revoke the Keystone XL pipeline permit. The project is a very controversial cross-border project to bring 830,000 barrels of crude oil every single day.

The pipeline will connect oil refineries from the coast of the US' Mexican Gulf all the way up north to Alberta, Canada.

Biden's nominees to tackle the climate crisis, spearheaded by the former secretary of state John Kerry, who will act as a climate "envoy" to the world, is "by far the most experienced, high-level climate team US history. They intend to hit the ground running."

Hit the Ground Running

Despite everything still being part of a plan, his actions are already labeled as an aggressive approach to combating the issue. But, that is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Day one, Biden will rejoin Paris, regulate methane emissions and continue taking many other aggressive executive climate actions in the opening days and weeks of his presidency," said Paul Bledsoe.

He was a climate advisor to Bill Clinton's term in the White House, now with the Progressive Policy Institute.

"It will be a starkly different approach to the Trump administration on almost every front," said Helen Mountford, vice-president for climate at the World Resources Institute. "Science will once again guide America's policymaking, and inauguration day will mark a new era for climate ambition in the US. He will have a lot on his plate, but there's no doubt that Biden intends to make a full-court press on climate change."

Long Term Plans

Many were quick to point out that many of Biden's plans were similar to those that then-president Barack Obama started.

But, Biden immediately clarified that he will not just re-establish Obama's climate policies. He knows the importance of better environmental plans.

Biden has also vowed to support federal government scientists beleaguered by years of climate change denial and sidelining of politically inconvenient science by the Trump administration.

Biden has also pledged to cut US emissions to net-zero by 2050. He claims that he will find millions of job opportunities in more sustainable retrofitted buildings running in clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

Climate change experts already had their eyes on Biden's long-term plans hoping that the new POTUS will make do with his promises on improving the environmental situation.

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