Joe Biden picks US targets but remains unclear on details

Angela Merkel, Antonio Guterres, Emmanuel Macron or Boris Johnson … Almost the whole world on Thursday praised America’s “comeback” or “turning point”, while Joe Biden on the occasion of a virtual climate summit hosted by Washington on American Targeted carbon emissions. It remains to be seen whether Congress will follow the US President, who is relying too heavily on his massive infrastructure bill for his green innings.

Defying the “extraordinary” economic benefits resulting from ecological reforms, the 46th President of the United States resolved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s largest economy by 50% to 52% by 2030 compared to 2005. have taken. Washington’s prior commitment of reduction from 26% to 28% by 2025. This should enable the US economy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

There is no place for maneuver in the Senate

Joe Biden, however, remains elusive on concrete means of achieving it at this level. Its massive infrastructure plan of over $ 2,000 billion includes an important component of the ecological transition. But he could meet real resistance in Congress.

Democrats have only 50 votes out of 100 in the Senate, to tip the scales in the event of a tie with Kamala Harris. But to avoid parliamentary obstruction, in principle 60 votes are required. The Republicans, unveiled their plan, which cost … four times less. It seems impossible to achieve a compromise.

Democrats can, in theory, bypass the budget reconciliation process, which allows for a simple majority vote once a year when a bill affects the budget. He has used that wild card for an incentive package, but a recent move could see him doing it again. Except that Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who has to deal with a very conservative voter in industrial and rural West Virginia, has said he is opposed to proposed corporate tax increases as a way to spend a huge plan.

An important summit in Glasgow in November

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was determined to work with the international community “and especially the United States” on this front, much faster than the two great rival powers on many other files. Despite the stress. He reaffirmed China’s carbon neutrality goal by 2060.

The major invited powers, which together represent 80% of global emissions, have placed themselves in action for this summit, a step towards the UN’s flagship conference, COP26, at the end of the year in Glasgow, Scotland Is set for

For UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, this summit is “a turning point”. The environmental organization WWF praised a summit and announcements, which bring “new life” to the fight against global warming. “The next six months will be important,” John Carey warned, however, referring to the Scottish deadline of November. “I think Glasgow is our last hope for the world to come together and move in the same direction.”