US support of climate action under Biden may be a tipping point

PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden's intention to hoick the US back into the ranks of countries committed to fight climate change has injected fresh optimism into the global effort.

First on the agenda is a reversal of President Donald Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement; this is expected to take effect soon after the new adminstration is sworn in. Mr Biden's team has its work cut out. In the past four years, the Trump administration has rolled back or weakened numerous environmental regulations in the US, including protections for endangered species. In the same period, the European Union and in particular China have stepped into the vacuum created by the US. China recently pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. Other countries that have made a similar pledge include South Africa, South Korea and Japan.

All eyes will be on the Biden administration's game plan. Mr Biden has proposed to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, for instance. He has also announced a US$2 trillion "accelerated investment" plan to build infrastructure and a "clean energy" economy, that will also create jobs. These developments have come none too soon. The 2015 Paris Agreement set a cap on the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. For this to happen, global carbon dioxide emissions need to be slashed by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.