Month before Trump taking office, Biden announces ‘ambitious’ climate target to cut emissions by 2035

By Elif Tugtekin

ISTANBUL (AA)- Biden administration has unveiled a new nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, targeting an ambitious 61-66% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2035.

The announcement, which came a month before President-elect Donald Trump taking office, underscores the current US administration's goal to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

​​​​​​​On November 4, 2019, then-President Trump initiated the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, citing economic burdens, with the withdrawal taking effect a year later.

In a statement, President Joe Biden emphasized the urgency of the climate crisis, declaring, "This keeps the United States on a clear and accelerated path to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by no later than 2050."

A key component of the 2035 target is a 35% reduction in methane emissions compared to 2005 levels. “Cutting methane emissions is among the fastest ways to reduce near-term warming and is an essential complement to CO2 mitigation,” the statement added.

The administration emphasized that the transition will benefit American workers and consumers. “The clean energy revolution is being built in America, and that will not be reversed,” the statement concluded.