Biden says he 'practically' declared climate emergency

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that “practically speaking” he has already declared a climate emergency, though he has not actually declared it.

"I’ve already done that,” Biden told The Weather Channel in response to a question about if he intends to declare a climate emergency.

“We’ve conserved more land, we’ve rejoined the Paris Climate Accords, we’ve passed the $368 billion climate control facility. We’re moving. It is the existential threat to humanity," he said.

When pressed on whether he already declared an emergency, the preident said: “Practically speaking, yes.”

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told CNN that Biden was referring to his decision last year to invoke the Defense Production Act to spur production of clean energy technologies.

“What the president was talking about is the Defense Production Act. That’s something he did very early on,” she said.

Biden is on a visit to the southwestern US to highlight his administration's climate policy.

Although climate activists have been urging Biden to declare a national emergency since becoming president, he has yet to declare one.