Specialists at the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) analysed U.S. President Joe Biden’s plans on decarbonising energy, commercial buildings and transport and noted that in order to achieve the aims of the Paris agreement in terms of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the country must reduce emissions by a minimum of 57 % by the end of the decade.
The United States is expected to make public its plans to abide by the Paris agreement at the climate summit to be hosted by Biden and held virtually on 22nd April. European countries and environmentalists are urging Washington to reduce carbon emissions by 50 % over the course of the decade compared to 2005 levels.
The United States withdrew from the Paris agreement under former president Donald Trump, but after Biden’s election victory, the country has pledged to stand by all its condition and to urge participants to extend its obligations on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Washington also says it will appeal to other countries to join the accord.
Scientists believe that in order to avoid a critical rise in sea levels linked to climate change, it is necessary by 2030 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by a minimum of 35 % compared to 2020 levels and to eliminate them altogether by 2050.