President Biden will leave office in a few months. He leaves behind an environmental legacy surpassing that of other presidents. Biden’s environmental record and legacy include passing a bill that helps abate climate change and enacting rules to reduce pollution.
Inflation Reduction Act: Biden’s Crowning Achievement
The Inflation Reduction Act is the crowning achievement of the Biden administration. Passed on August 16, 2022, the IRA is the most significant investment in renewable energy and climate action. The law amended the Clean Air Act to allow stronger pollution regulations. It is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The Environmental Protection Agency passed new standards for pollution from power plants, passenger vehicles, oil wells, and trucks.
The IRA includes $369 billion for renewable energy and climate investments, including incentives to convert furnaces or water heaters to heat pumps, install solar panels, and make their homes more energy efficient. Housing accounts for 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Energy retrofits reduce home energy use by 30 to 70 percent.
Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. The IRA established the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to fund low-to-zero energy emission technologies.
Rural areas in the U.S. are included in IRA funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture received over $525 million for partially forgivable loans from the IRA for 14 new renewable energy projects in rural areas. The IRA granted $19.5 billion to the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) for conservation programs that assist farmers and ranchers in protecting natural resources. That includes more than $2.8 billion of financial assistance for conservation. That is the largest investment in the history of the NRCS.
The Creation of the American Climate Corps
President Biden’s executive order on September 20, 2023, created the American Climate Corps. Modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps created by President Franklin Roosevelt, the American Climate Corps trains young people for good-paying jobs in the renewable energy and climate resilience sectors. More than 20,000 young people will help with projects that include deploying renewable energy, restoring coastal wetlands, managing forests, and implementing energy-efficient solutions.
Established Environmental Justice
The IRA also includes $3 billion for environmental justice, which goes towards projects that range from climate justice block grants to engaging communities in federal and state policymaking. The investment also provides technical and financial assistance for environmental and climate justice projects that benefit underserved communities.
Another executive order signed in 2023 directed every federal agency to “advance environmental justice for all” while creating the Justice40 Initiative and Office of Environmental Justice. The goal of the Justice40 Initiative is to deliver 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments to communities overburdened by pollution.
Researchers have looked at the impact of pollution on low-income communities and people of color. They found that African-Americans, Latinx, and Asians have a greater risk of premature death from particle pollution than do predominately white communities. Low-income communities also face premature death from particle pollution compared to higher-income communities. A study published in 2023 found that toxic levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are more likely in communities with higher proportions of African-Americans and Latinx people.
The Office of Environmental Justice is called a “whole-of-government approach” to addressing environmental justice. It is the “central hub” for implementing the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy.
The Biden administration released its Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) in March 2023 to integrate environmental justice into the federal government’s ocean activities.
Biden’s Environmental Record
Biden’s environmental record isn’t perfect. Nonetheless it is among the most substantial of any American president. Even with all the work that remains to tackle climate change, pollution, and sustainable development, he has accomplished more than he is often given credit for.
