Biden has backtracked on his climate plan

According to the British "Guardian", Biden, who is known as the first "climate president" of the United States, is gradually slowing down his actions and plans to reduce global warming. "This shows that tackling the climate crisis has taken a back seat in the US election year."

Delay in the introduction of carbon emission regulations for power plants

According to the U.S.Washington postIn May 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed restrictions on carbon emissions from power plants, requiring significant restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from three types of power plants, including existing coal-fired power plants, existing natural gas power plants, and new natural gas power plants. Power plants are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about 25% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the report.

According to the British "Guardian", the US Environmental Protection Agency recently said that it is expected to determine the rules for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas power plants by April this year, but it will take longer to determine the rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from existing natural gas power plants in the United States, and it is likely to be delayed until after the US election in November.

The U.S. slowed down rules on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants because the proposal was opposed by some Democrats. Most of the electricity in the United States is generated by the combustion of coal or natural gas, and in order to comply with the U.S. government's original regulations requiring coal-fired and natural gas power plants to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these power plants must adopt new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and some Democrats fear that the additional costs of power plants will be passed on to the American public, leading to higher electricity prices. Some Democrats pointed out that although the American public and the government are on the same goal of reducing carbon emissions, the government cannot require the public to bear all the additional costs of reducing carbon emissions.

According to the U.S.New york timesSenator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, called the EPA's decision to delay determining greenhouse gas emissions rules for existing natural gas power plants "puzzling." "Establishing rules on greenhouse gas emissions that only apply to coal-fired power plants that are fading away and new gas-fired power plants that have not yet been built is not our way to climate security. Global warming will not wait for the EPA's 'lazy pace.'"

Slow down the transition to electric vehicles

The Guardian reported that the Biden administration has also slowed down the pace of the transition to electric vehicles.

In April 2023, the EPA proposed a strict limit on vehicle emissions, requiring a 56% reduction in new vehicle emissions by 2032, while requiring electric vehicles to account for 60% of new vehicle production by 2030 and 67% by 2032. However, the U.S.New york timesIn the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, the Biden administration is preparing to ease restrictions on vehicle emissions and slow the transition to electric vehicles.

One reason the U.S. is slowing down the EV transition is that the U.S. auto industry opposes the EPA's strict restrictions on vehicle emissions. On the one hand, auto workers are worried about losing their jobs, and fewer workers are needed to assemble an electric car than a gasoline car. On the other hand, the price of electric vehicles in the United States is still higher than most gasoline vehicles, and some potential EV buyers have been dissuaded due to high prices, among other reasons. What's more, EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. is still inadequate, and accelerating EV adoption in the U.S. will require significant changes in building new EV charging stations, overhauling the power grid to meet the power needs of these charging stations, and ensuring the availability of materials to make EV batteries.

The decline in demand for electric vehicles in the United States is also an important reason for the Biden administration to slow down the pace of electric vehicle transformation. U.S.New york timesAlthough electric vehicle sales in the U.S. reached a record 1.2 million last year, growth is slowing, the report reported. Some analysts have pointed out that the current lag in electric vehicle sales is to be expected, because the early buyers of electric vehicles are usually wealthy coastal residents in the United States, and the market is now saturated.

It is worth noting that electric vehicles have also been dragged into the "quagmire of public opinion" in the US election. Former President Trump called the use of electric vehicles "crazy" and he wants supporters of electric vehicles to "rot in hell." Trump also said that Biden is seeking a total ban on the use of conventional cars in the United States, allowing the public to use all electric vehicles that do not work in cold weather.

Slowing climate plans jeopardizes the achievement of U.S. climate goals

"We are tackling the climate crisis, not denying it. When it comes to climate, we're making history. In his State of the Union address on March 7, Biden continued to defend his climate policy, saying his administration was taking the most significant climate action in world history. "We plan to halve U.S. carbon emissions by 2030 and protect 30 percent of U.S. land and water."

However, the British "Guardian" pointed out that most American voters have not heard of Biden's climate plan, and for them, they are more worried about inflation in American society and the cost of carrying out a green transition. As the U.S. election approaches, the public is frustrated that the government has broken its pledges on climate action.

U.S.Washington postA poll conducted in partnership with the University of Maryland showed that 57 percent of Americans disapprove of Biden's approach to climate. Michael Hammer, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, noted that the poll shows Biden's lack of capacity to tackle climate change.

The British "Guardian" also quoted scientists as commenting that the US goal of halving carbon emissions by 2030 is essential to avoid catastrophic effects due to global warming, and the Biden administration's backsliding in tackling the climate crisis will jeopardize the achievement of US climate goals.