Biden Boasts of Climate Wins and Warns of Reversals Under Trump
On Tuesday, President Biden highlighted his administration’s significant strides in combating climate change and cautioned that these achievements could be undone if Republican candidate Donald J. Trump were to succeed him. Addressing a supportive audience at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum during New York Climate Week, the president emphasized the urgency of maintaining progress for the benefit of future generations.
Speaking just hours after his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden took the stage at the Bloomberg event to underscore the impact of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. He proudly announced that the act, which injects over $370 billion in tax rebates and subsidies into renewable energy projects, batteries, and electric vehicles, represents the largest climate investment ever made globally.
The president attributed the law to not only revitalizing shuttered factories and generating over 300,000 jobs but also fundamentally shifting the dialogue around climate change from one of impending doom to one of economic potential. In his speech, Biden connected his environmental policies to Vice President Kamala Harris, affirming their joint commitment to ambitious, growth-focused climate initiatives.
“Kamala and I have pursued an ambitious climate policy focused on growth,” Biden declared. “This is a new formula on climate—creating jobs while reducing pollution.”
While Vice President Harris has yet to detail her specific climate strategies, her campaign platform emphasizes fortifying the existing climate legislation and uniting Americans to confront the climate crisis.
Although President Biden refrained from mentioning Trump by name, he criticized his predecessor’s policies as economically ruinous and warned against a potential rollback of progress. In contrast, Trump’s campaign has signaled intentions to dismantle Biden’s climate policies and expand fossil fuel development, which is a primary driver of climate change. Trump has notably promoted drilling and criticized renewable energy, particularly wind power, with incorrect claims about its impact on wildlife and health.
Rhetorically addressing such misinformation, Biden quipped to the crowd’s amusement, “By the way, windmills do not cause cancer.”
With the upcoming election on the horizon, the discussions among world leaders in New York have been especially charged. Trump has vowed to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change, reversing Biden’s decision to rejoin the global treaty during his first term. Should Harris win the presidency, she is expected to maintain vigorous international climate engagement and escalate U.S. efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Biden underscored the ethical necessity of reducing fossil fuel pollution, recounting his visits to communities devastated by climate-driven disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. Highlighting the severe impact, he noted having witnessed “more acreage burn to the ground than the entire state of Maryland—just wildfires.”
In addition, he conveyed the eagerness of leaders from countries including Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, India, and Japan to increase clean energy investments. He asserted that the world needs U.S. leadership to navigate the global shift away from fossil fuels.
“If we don’t lead, who the hell leads?” Biden passionately asked. “Who fills the vacuum?”
Leave a Reply