President Obama released his action plan to deal with global warming. Coal company stocks were hammered on the news.
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
“We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to
all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so
would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming
judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling
drought and more powerful storms.
The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America
cannot resist this transition, we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that
will power new jobs and new industries, we must claim its promise. That’s how we will maintain
our economic vitality and our national treasure — our forests and waterways, our croplands and
snow-capped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God.
That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.”
— President Obama, Second Inaugural Address, January 2013
THE CASE FOR ACTION
While no single step can reverse the effects of climate change, we have a moral obligation to
future generations to leave them a planet that is not polluted and damaged. Through steady,
responsible action to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our children’s health and begin to slow
the effects of climate change so that we leave behind a cleaner, more stable environment.
In 2009, President Obama made a pledge that by 2020, America would reduce its greenhouse gas
emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels if all other major economies agreed to
limit their emissions as well. Today, the President remains firmly committed to that goal and to
building on the progress of his first term to help put us and the world on a sustainable long-term
trajectory. Thanks in part to the Administration’s success in doubling America’s use of wind,
solar, and geothermal energy and in establishing the toughest fuel economy standards in our
history, we are creating new jobs, building new industries, and reducing dangerous carbon
pollution which contributes to climate change. In fact, last year, carbon emissions from the
energy sector fell to the lowest level in two decades. At the same time, while there is more work
to do, we are more energy secure than at any time in recent history. In 2012, America’s net oil
imports fell to the lowest level in 20 years and we have become the world’s leading producer of
natural gas – the cleanest-burning fossil fuel.
While this progress is encouraging, climate change is no longer a distant threat – we are already
feeling its impacts across the country and the world. Last year was the warmest year ever in the
contiguous United States and about one-third of all Americans experienced 10 days or more of
100-degree heat. The 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15 years. Asthma rates
have doubled in the past 30 years and our children will suffer more asthma attacks as air
pollution gets worse. And increasing floods, heat waves, and droughts have put farmers out of
business, which is already raising food prices dramatically.
These changes come with far-reaching consequences and real economic costs. Last year alone,
there were 11 different weather and climate disaster events with estimated losses exceeding $1
billion each across the United States. Taken together, these 11 events resulted in over $110
billion in estimated damages, which would make it the second-costliest year on record.
In short, America stands at a critical juncture. Today, President Obama is putting forward a
broad-based plan to cut the carbon pollution that causes climate change and affects public health.
Cutting carbon pollution will help spark business innovation to modernize our power plants,
resulting in cleaner forms of American-made energy that will create good jobs and cut our
dependence on foreign oil. Combined with the Administration’s other actions to increase the
efficiency of our cars and household appliances, the President’s plan will reduce the amount of
energy consumed by American families, cutting down on their gas and utility bills. The plan,
which consists of a wide variety of executive actions, has three key pillars:
1) Cut Carbon Pollution in America: In 2012, U.S. carbon emissions fell to the lowest level
in two decades even as the economy continued to grow. To build on this progress, the Obama
Administration is putting in place tough new rules to cut carbon pollution – just like we have
for other toxins like mercury and arsenic – so we protect the health of our children and move
our economy toward American-made clean energy sources that will create good jobs and
lower home energy bills.
2) Prepare the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change: Even as we take new steps
to reduce carbon pollution, we must also prepare for the impacts of a changing climate that
are already being felt across the country. Moving forward, the Obama Administration will
help state and local governments strengthen our roads, bridges, and shorelines so we can
better protect people’s homes, businesses and way of life from severe weather.
3) Lead International Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change and Prepare for its
Impacts: Just as no country is immune from the impacts of climate change, no country can
meet this challenge alone. That is why it is imperative for the United States to couple action
at home with leadership internationally. America must help forge a truly global solution to
this global challenge by galvanizing international action to significantly reduce emissions
(particularly among the major emitting countries), prepare for climate impacts, and drive
progress through the international negotiations.
Climate change represents one of our greatest challenges of our time, but it is a challenge
uniquely suited to America’s strengths. Our scientists will design new fuels, and our farmers will
grow them. Our engineers to devise new sources of energy, our workers will build them, and our
businesses will sell them. All of us will need to do our part. If we embrace this challenge, we will
not just create new jobs and new industries and keep America on the cutting edge; we will save
lives, protect and preserve our treasured natural resources, cities, and coastlines for future
generations.
What follows is a blueprint for steady, responsible national and international action to slow the
effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.
It highlights progress already set in motion by the Obama Administration to advance these goals
and sets forth new steps to achieve them.
CUT CARBON POLLUTION IN AMERICA
In 2009, President Obama made a commitment to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the
range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The President remains firmly committed to
achieving that goal. While there is more work to do, the Obama Administration has already made
significant progress by doubling generation of electricity from wind, solar, and geothermal, and
by establishing historic new fuel economy standards. Building on these achievements, this
document outlines additional steps the Administration will take – in partnership with states, local
communities, and the private sector – to continue on a path to meeting the President’s 2020
goal.
I.
Deploying Clean Energy
Cutting Carbon Pollution from Power Plants: Power plants are the largest concentrated source
of emissions in the United States, together accounting for roughly one-third of all domestic
greenhouse gas emissions. We have already set limits for arsenic, mercury, and lead, but there is
no federal rule to prevent power plants from releasing as much carbon pollution as they want.
Many states, local governments, and companies have taken steps to move to cleaner electricity
sources. More than 35 states have renewable energy targets in place, and more than 25 have set
energy efficiency targets.
Despite this progress at the state level, there are no federal standards in place to reduce carbon
pollution from power plants. In April 2012, as part of a continued effort to modernize our electric
power sector, the Obama Administration proposed a carbon pollution standard for new power
plants. The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal reflects and reinforces the ongoing
trend towards cleaner technologies, with natural gas increasing its share of electricity generation
in recent years, principally through market forces and renewables deployment growing rapidly to
account for roughly half of new generation capacity installed in 2012.
With abundant clean energy solutions available, and building on the leadership of states and
local governments, we can make continued progress in reducing power plant pollution to
improve public health and the environment while supplying the reliable, affordable power
needed for economic growth. By doing so, we will continue to drive American leadership in
clean energy technologies, such as efficient natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and clean coal
technology.
To accomplish these goals, President Obama is issuing a Presidential Memorandum directing the
Environmental Protection Agency to work expeditiously to complete carbon pollution standards
for both new and existing power plants. This work will build on the successful first-term effort to
develop greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. In developing the
standards, the President has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to build on state
leadership, provide flexibility, and take advantage of a wide range of energy sources and
technologies including many actions in this plan.
Promoting American Leadership in Renewable Energy: During the President’s first term, the
United States more than doubled generation of electricity from wind, solar, and geothermal
sources. To ensure America’s continued leadership position in clean energy, President Obama
has set a goal to double renewable electricity generation once again by 2020. In order to meet
this ambitious target, the Administration is announcing a number of new efforts in the following
key areas:
• Accelerating Clean Energy Permitting: In 2012 the President set a goal to issue permits
for 10 gigawatts of renewables on public lands by the end of the year. The Department of
the Interior achieved this goal ahead of schedule and the President has directed it to
permit an additional 10 gigawatts by 2020. Since 2009, the Department of Interior has
approved 25 utility-scale solar facilities, nine wind farms, and 11 geothermal plants,
which will provide enough electricity to power 4.4 million homes and support an
estimated 17,000 jobs. The Administration is also taking steps to encourage the
development of hydroelectric power at existing dams. To develop and demonstrate
improved permitting procedures for such projects, the Administration will designate the
Red Rock Hydroelectric Plant on the Des Moines River in Iowa to participate in its
Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard for high-priority projects. Also, the Department of
Defense – the single largest consumer of energy in the United States – is committed to
deploying 3 gigawatts of renewable energy on military installations, including solar,
wind, biomass, and geothermal, by 2025. In addition, federal agencies are setting a new
goal of reaching 100 megawatts of installed renewable capacity across the federally
subsidized housing stock by 2020. This effort will include conducting a survey of current
projects in order to track progress and facilitate the sharing of best practices.
• Expanding and Modernizing the Electric Grid: Upgrading the country’s electric grid
is critical to our efforts to make electricity more reliable, save consumers money on their
energy bills, and promote clean energy sources. To advance these important goals,
President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum this month that directs federal
agencies to streamline the siting, permitting and review process for transmission projects
across federal, state, and tribal governments.
Unlocking Long-Term Investment in Clean Energy Innovation: The Fiscal Year 2014
Budget continues the President’s commitment to keeping the United States at the forefront of
clean energy research, development, and deployment by increasing funding for clean energy
technology across all agencies by 30 percent, to approximately $7.9 billion. This includes
investment in a range of energy technologies, from advanced biofuels and emerging nuclear
technologies – including small modular reactors – to clean coal. To continue America’s
leadership in clean energy innovation, the Administration will also take the following steps:
• Spurring Investment in Advanced Fossil Energy Projects: In the coming weeks, the
Department of Energy will issue a Federal Register Notice announcing a draft of a
solicitation that would make up to $8 billion in (self-pay) loan guarantee authority available
for a wide array of advanced fossil energy projects under its Section 1703 loan guarantee
program. This solicitation is designed to support investments in innovative technologies that
can cost-effectively meet financial and policy goals, including the avoidance, reduction, or
sequestration of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The proposed solicitation will
cover a broad range of advanced fossil energy projects. Reflecting the Department’s
commitment to continuous improvement in program management, it will take comment on
the draft solicitation, with a plan to issue a final solicitation by the fall of 2013.
• Instituting a Federal Quadrennial Energy Review: Innovation and new sources of
domestic energy supply are transforming the nation’s energy marketplace, creating economic
opportunities at the same time they raise environmental challenges. To ensure that federal
energy policy meets our economic, environmental, and security goals in this changing
landscape, the Administration will conduct a Quadrennial Energy Review which will be led
by the White House Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy,
supported by a Secretariat established at the Department of Energy, and involving the robust
engagement of federal agencies and outside stakeholders. This first-ever review will focus on
infrastructure challenges, and will identify the threats, risks, and opportunities for U.S.
energy and climate security, enabling the federal government to translate policy goals into a
set of analytically based, clearly articulated, sequenced and integrated actions, and proposed
investments over a four-year planning horizon.
II.
Building a 21st-Century Transportation Sector
Increasing Fuel Economy Standards: Heavy-duty vehicles are currently the second largest
source of greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation sector. In 2011, the Obama
Administration finalized the first-ever fuel economy standards for Model Year 2014-2018 for
heavy-duty trucks, buses, and vans. These standards will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
approximately 270 million metric tons and save 530 million barrels of oil. During the President’s
second term, the Administration will once again partner with industry leaders and other key
stakeholders to develop post-2018 fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles to further
reduce fuel consumption through the application of advanced cost-effective technologies and
continue efforts to improve the efficiency of moving goods across the United States.
The Obama Administration has already established the toughest fuel economy standards for
passenger vehicles in U.S. history. These standards require an average performance equivalent of
54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, which will save the average driver more than $8,000 in fuel costs
over the lifetime of the vehicle and eliminate six billion metric tons of carbon pollution – more
than the United States emits in an entire year.
Developing and Deploying Advanced Transportation Technologies: Biofuels have an
important role to play in increasing our energy security, fostering rural economic development,
and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. That is why the
Administration supports the Renewable Fuels Standard, and is investing in research and
development to help bring next-generation biofuels on line. For example, the United States Navy
and Departments of Energy and Agriculture are working with the private sector to accelerate the
development of cost-competitive advanced biofuels for use by the military and commercial
sectors. More broadly, the Administration will continue to leverage partnerships between the
private and public sectors to deploy cleaner fuels, including advanced batteries and fuel cell
technologies, in every transportation mode. The Department of Energy’s eGallon informs drivers
about electric car operating costs in their state – the national average is only $1.14 per gallon of
gasoline equivalent, showing the promise for consumer pocketbooks of electric-powered
vehicles. In addition, in the coming months, the Department of Transportation will work with
other agencies to further explore strategies for integrating alternative fuel vessels into the U.S.
flag fleet. Further, the Administration will continue to work with states, cities and towns through
the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the
Environmental Protection Agency to improve transportation options, and lower transportation
costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide.
III.
Cutting Energy Waste in Homes, Businesses, and Factories
Reducing Energy Bills for American Families and Businesses: Energy efficiency is one of the
clearest and most cost-effective opportunities to save families money, make our businesses more
competitive, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the President’s first term, the Department
of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development completed efficiency
upgrades in more than one million homes, saving many families more than $400 on their heating
and cooling bills in the first year alone. The Administration will take a range of new steps geared
towards achieving President Obama’s goal of doubling energy productivity by 2030 relative to
2010 levels:
• Establishing a New Goal for Energy Efficiency Standards: In President Obama’s first
term, the Department of Energy established new minimum efficiency standards for
dishwashers, refrigerators, and many other products. Through 2030, these standards will
cut consumers’ electricity bills by hundreds of billions of dollars and save enough
electricity to power more than 85 million homes for two years. To build on this success,
the Administration is setting a new goal: Efficiency standards for appliances and federal
buildings set in the first and second terms combined will reduce carbon pollution by at
least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 – equivalent to nearly one-half of the
carbon pollution from the entire U.S. energy sector for one year – while continuing to cut
families’ energy bills.
• Reducing Barriers to Investment in Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency upgrades
bring significant cost savings, but upfront costs act as a barrier to more widespread
investment. In response, the Administration is committing to a number of new executive
actions. As soon as this fall, the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service will
finalize a proposed update to its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program to
provide up to $250 million for rural utilities to finance efficiency investments by
businesses and homeowners across rural America. The Department is also streamlining
its Rural Energy for America program to provide grants and loan guarantees directly to
agricultural producers and rural small businesses for energy efficiency and renewable
energy systems.
In addition, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s efforts include a $23
million Multifamily Energy Innovation Fund designed to enable affordable housing
providers, technology firms, academic institutions, and philanthropic organizations to test
new approaches to deliver cost-effective residential energy. In order to advance ongoing
efforts and bring stakeholders together, the Federal Housing Administration will convene
representatives of the lending community and other key stakeholders for a mortgage
roundtable in July to identify options for factoring energy efficiency into the mortgage
underwriting and appraisal process upon sale or refinancing of new or existing homes.
• Expanding the President’s Better Buildings Challenge: The Better Buildings
Challenge, focused on helping American commercial and industrial buildings become at
least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020, is already showing results. More than 120
diverse organizations, representing over 2 billion square feet are on track to meet the
2020 goal: cutting energy use by an average 2.5 percent annually, equivalent to about $58
million in energy savings per year. To continue this success, the Administration will
expand the program to multifamily housing – partnering both with private and affordable
building owners and public housing agencies to cut energy waste. In addition, the
Administration is launching the Better Buildings Accelerators, a new track that will
support and encourage adoption of State and local policies to cut energy waste, building
on the momentum of ongoing efforts at that level.
IV.
Reducing Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Curbing Emissions of Hydrofluorocarbons: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are primarily
used for refrigeration and air conditioning, are potent greenhouse gases. In the United States,
emissions of HFCs are expected to nearly triple by 2030, and double from current levels of 1.5
percent of greenhouse gas emissions to 3 percent by 2020.
To reduce emissions of HFCs, the United States can and will lead both through international
diplomacy as well as domestic actions. In fact, the Administration has already acted by including
a flexible and powerful incentive in the fuel economy and carbon pollution standards for cars and
trucks to encourage automakers to reduce HFC leakage and transition away from the most potent
HFCs in vehicle air conditioning systems. Moving forward, the Environmental Protection
Agency will use its authority through the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program to
encourage private sector investment in low-emissions technology by identifying and approving
climate-friendly chemicals while prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful chemical
alternatives. In addition, the President has directed his Administration to purchase cleaner
alternatives to HFCs whenever feasible and transition over time to equipment that uses safer and
more sustainable alternatives.
Reducing Methane Emissions: Curbing emissions of methane is critical to our overall effort to
address global climate change. Methane currently accounts for roughly 9 percent of domestic
greenhouse gas emissions and has a global warming potential that is more than 20 times greater
than carbon dioxide. Notably, since 1990, methane emissions in the United States have decreased
by 8 percent. This has occurred in part through partnerships with industry, both at home and
abroad, in which we have demonstrated that we have the technology to deliver emissions
reductions that benefit both our economy and the environment. To achieve additional progress,
the Administration will:
• Developing an Interagency Methane Strategy: The Environmental Protection Agency
and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Labor, and Transportation will
develop a comprehensive, interagency methane strategy. The group will focus on
assessing current emissions data, addressing data gaps, identifying technologies and best
practices for reducing emissions, and identifying existing authorities and incentive-based
opportunities to reduce methane emissions.
• Pursuing a Collaborative Approach to Reducing Emissions: Across the economy,
there are multiple sectors in which methane emissions can be reduced, from coal mines
and landfills to agriculture and oil and gas development. For example, in the agricultural
sector, over the last three years, the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Department of Agriculture have worked with the dairy industry to increase the adoption
of methane digesters through loans, incentives, and other assistance. In addition, when it
comes to the oil and gas sector, investments to build and upgrade gas pipelines will not
only put more Americans to work, but also reduce emissions and enhance economic
productivity. For example, as part of the Administration’s effort to improve federal
permitting for infrastructure projects, the interagency Bakken Federal Executive Group is
working with industry, as well as state and tribal agencies, to advance the production of
oil and gas in the Bakken while helping to reduce venting and flaring. Moving forward,
as part of the effort to develop an interagency methane strategy, the Obama
Administration will work collaboratively with state governments, as well as the private
sector, to reduce emissions across multiple sectors, improve air quality, and achieve
public health and economic benefits.
Preserving the Role of Forests in Mitigating Climate Change: America’s forests play a
critical role in addressing carbon pollution, removing nearly 12 percent of total U.S. greenhouse
gas emissions each year. In the face of a changing climate and increased risk of wildfire,
drought, and pests, the capacity of our forests to absorb carbon is diminishing. Pressures to
develop forest lands for urban or agricultural uses also contribute to the decline of forest carbon
sequestration. Conservation and sustainable management can help to ensure our forests continue
to remove carbon from the atmosphere while also improving soil and water quality, reducing
wildfire risk, and otherwise managing forests to be more resilient in the fact of climate change.
The Administration is working to identify new approaches to protect and restore our forests, as
well as other critical landscapes including grasslands and wetlands, in the face of a changing
climate.
V.
Leading at the Federal Level
Leading in Clean Energy: President Obama believes that the federal government must be a
leader in clean energy and energy efficiency. Under the Obama Administration, federal agencies
have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15 percent – the equivalent of permanently
taking 1.5 million cars off the road. To build on this record, the Administration is establishing a
new goal: The federal government will consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable
sources by 2020 – more than double the current goal of 7.5 percent. In addition, the federal
government will continue to pursue greater energy efficiency that reduces greenhouse gas
emissions and saves taxpayer dollars.
Federal Government Leadership in Energy Efficiency: On December 2, 2011, President
Obama signed a memorandum entitled “Implementation of Energy Savings Projects and
Performance-Based Contracting for Energy Savings,” challenging federal agencies, in support of
the Better Buildings Challenge, to enter into $2 billion worth of performance-based contracts
within two years. Performance contracts drive economic development, utilize private sector
innovation, and increase efficiency at minimum costs to the taxpayer, while also providing long-
term savings in energy costs. Federal agencies have committed to a pipeline of nearly $2.3
billion from over 300 reported projects. In coming months, the Administration will take a
number of actions to strengthen efforts to promote energy efficiency, including through
performance contracting. For example, in order to increase access to capital markets for
investments in energy efficiency, the Administration will initiate a partnership with the private
sector to work towards a standardized contract to finance federal investments in energy
efficiency. Going forward, agencies will also work together to synchronize building codes –
leveraging those policies to improve the efficiency of federally owned and supported building
stock. Finally, the Administration will leverage the “Green Button” standard – which aggregates
energy data in a secure, easy to use format – within federal facilities to increase their ability to
manage energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and meet sustainability goals.
PREPARE THE UNITED STATES FOR THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
As we act to curb the greenhouse gas pollution that is driving climate change, we must also
prepare for the impacts that are too late to avoid. Across America, states, cities, and communities
are taking steps to protect themselves by updating building codes, adjusting the way they manage
natural resources, investing in more resilient infrastructure, and planning for rapid recovery from
damages that nonetheless occur. The federal government has an important role to play in
supporting community-based preparedness and resilience efforts, establishing policies that
promote preparedness, protecting critical infrastructure and public resources, supporting science
and research germane to preparedness and resilience, and ensuring that federal operations and
facilities continue to protect and serve citizens in a changing climate.
The Obama Administration has been working to strengthen America’s climate resilience since its
earliest days. Shortly after coming into office, President Obama established an Interagency
Climate Change Adaptation Task Force and, in October 2009, the President signed an Executive
Order directing it to recommend ways federal policies and programs can better prepare the
Nation for change. In May 2010, the Task Force hosted the first National Climate Adaptation
Summit, convening local and regional stakeholders and decision-makers to identify challenges
and opportunities for collaborative action.
In February 2013, federal agencies released Climate Change Adaptation Plans for the first time,
outlining strategies to protect their operations, missions, and programs from the effects of
climate change. The Department of Transportation, for example, is developing guidance for
incorporating climate change and extreme weather event considerations into coastal highway
projects, and the Department of Homeland Security is evaluating the challenges of changing
conditions in the Arctic and along our Nation’s borders. Agencies have also partnered with
communities through targeted grant and technical-assistance programs—for example, the
Environmental Protection Agency is working with low-lying communities in North Carolina to
assess the vulnerability of infrastructure investments to sea level rise and identify solutions to
reduce risks. And the Administration has continued, through the U.S. Global Change Research
Program, to support science and monitoring to expand our understanding of climate change and
its impacts.
Going forward, the Administration will expand these efforts into three major, interrelated
initiatives to better prepare America for the impacts of climate change:
I.
Building Stronger and Safer Communities and Infrastructure
By necessity, many states, cities, and communities are already planning and preparing for the
impacts of climate change. Hospitals must build capacity to serve patients during more frequent
heat waves, and urban planners must plan for the severe storms that infrastructure will need to
withstand. Promoting on-the-ground planning and resilient infrastructure will be at the core of
our work to strengthen America’s communities. Specific actions will include:
Directing Agencies to Support Climate-Resilient Investment: The President will direct
federal agencies to identify and remove barriers to making climate-resilient investments; identify
and remove counterproductive policies that increase vulnerabilities; and encourage and support
smarter, more resilient investments, including through agency grants, technical assistance, and
other programs, in sectors from transportation and water management to conservation and
disaster relief. Agencies will also be directed to ensure that climate risk-management
considerations are fully integrated into federal infrastructure and natural resource management
planning. To begin meeting this challenge, the Environmental Protection Agency is committing
to integrate considerations of climate change impacts and adaptive measures into major
programs, including its Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and grants for
brownfields cleanup, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development is already
requiring grant recipients in the Hurricane Sandy–affected region to take sea-level rise into
account.
Establishing a State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness: To
help agencies meet the above directive and to enhance local efforts to protect communities, the
President will establish a short-term task force of state, local, and tribal officials to advise on key
actions the federal government can take to better support local preparedness and resilience-
building efforts. The task force will provide recommendations on removing barriers to resilient
investments, modernizing grant and loan programs to better support local efforts, and developing
information and tools to better serve communities.
Supporting Communities as they Prepare for Climate Impacts: Federal agencies will
continue to provide targeted support and assistance to help communities prepare for climate-
change impacts. For example, throughout 2013, the Department of Transportation’s Federal
Highway Administration is working with 19 state and regional partners and other federal
agencies to test approaches for assessing local transportation infrastructure vulnerability to
climate change and extreme weather and for improving resilience. The Administration will
continue to assist tribal communities on preparedness through the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
including through pilot projects and by supporting participation in federal initiatives that assess
climate change vulnerabilities and develop regional solutions. Through annual federal agency
“Environmental Justice Progress Reports,” the Administration will continue to identify
innovative ways to help our most vulnerable communities prepare for and recover from the
impacts of climate change. The importance of critical infrastructure independence was brought
home in the Sandy response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department
of Energy are working with the private sector to address simultaneous restoration of electricity
and fuels supply.
Boosting the Resilience of Buildings and Infrastructure: The National Institute of Standards
and Technology will convene a panel on disaster-resilience standards to develop a
comprehensive, community-based resilience framework and provide guidelines for consistently
safe buildings and infrastructure – products that can inform the development of private-sector
standards and codes. In addition, building on federal agencies’ “Climate Change Adaptation
Plans,” the Administration will continue efforts to increase the resilience of federal facilities and
infrastructure. The Department of Defense, for example, is assessing the relative vulnerability of
its coastal facilities to climate change. In addition, the President’s FY 2014 Budget proposes
$200 million through the Transportation Leadership Awards program for Climate Ready
Infrastructure in communities that build enhanced preparedness into their planning efforts, and
that have proposed or are ready to break ground on infrastructure projects, including transit and
rail, to improve resilience.
Rebuilding and Learning from Hurricane Sandy: In August 2013, President Obama’s
Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force will deliver to the President a rebuilding strategy to be
implemented in Sandy-affected regions and establishing precedents that can be followed
elsewhere. The Task Force and federal agencies are also piloting new ways to support resilience
in the Sandy-affected region; the Task Force, for example, is hosting a regional “Rebuilding by
Design” competition to generate innovative solutions to enhance resilience. In the transportation
sector, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is dedicating
$5.7 billion to four of the area’s most impacted transit agencies, of which $1.3 billion will be
allocated to locally prioritized projects to make transit systems more resilient to future disasters.
FTA will also develop a competitive process for additional funding to identify and support
larger, stand-alone resilience projects in the impacted region. To build coastal resilience, the
Department of the Interior will launch a $100 million competitive grant program to foster
partnerships and promote resilient natural systems while enhancing green spaces and wildlife
habitat near urban populations. An additional $250 million will be allocated to support projects
for coastal restoration and resilience across the region. Finally, with partners, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers is conducting a $20 million study to identify strategies to reduce the
vulnerability of Sandy-affected coastal communities to future large-scale flood and storm events,
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will strengthen long-term coastal
observations and provide technical assistance to coastal communities.
II.
Protecting our Economy and Natural Resources
Climate change is affecting nearly every aspect of our society, from agriculture and tourism to
the health and safety of our citizens and natural resources. To help protect critical sectors, while
also targeting hazards that cut across sectors and regions, the Administration will mount a set of
sector- and hazard-specific efforts to protect our country’s vital assets, to include:
Identifying Vulnerabilities of Key Sectors to Climate Change: The Department of Energy
will soon release an assessment of climate-change impacts on the energy sector, including
power-plant disruptions due to drought and the disruption of fuel supplies during severe storms,
as well as potential opportunities to make our energy infrastructure more resilient to these risks.
In 2013, the Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior released several studies
outlining the challenges a changing climate poses for America’s agricultural enterprise, forests,
water supply, wildlife, and public lands. This year and next, federal agencies will report on the
impacts of climate change on other key sectors and strategies to address them, with priority
efforts focusing on health, transportation, food supplies, oceans, and coastal communities.
Promoting Resilience in the Health Sector: The Department of Health and Human Services
will launch an effort to create sustainable and resilient hospitals in the face of climate change.
Through a public-private partnership with the healthcare industry, it will identify best practices
and provide guidance on affordable measures to ensure that our medical system is resilient to
climate impacts. It will also collaborate with partner agencies to share best practices among
federal health facilities. And, building on lessons from pilot projects underway in 16 states, it
will help train public-health professionals and community leaders to prepare their communities
for the health consequences of climate change, including through effective communication of
health risks and resilience measures.
Promoting Insurance Leadership for Climate Safety: Recognizing the critical role that the
private sector plays in insuring assets and enabling rapid recovery after disasters, the
Administration will convene representatives from the insurance industry and other stakeholders
to explore best practices for private and public insurers to manage their own processes and
investments to account for climate change risks and incentivize policy holders to take steps to
reduce their exposure to these risks.
Conserving Land and Water Resources: America’s ecosystems are critical to our nation’s
economy and the lives and health of our citizens. These natural resources can also help
ameliorate the impacts of climate change, if they are properly protected. The Administration has
invested significantly in conserving relevant ecosystems, including working with Gulf State
partners after the Deepwater Horizon spill to enhance barrier islands and marshes that protect
communities from severe storms. The Administration is also implementing climate-adaptation
strategies that promote resilience in fish and wildlife populations, forests and other plant
communities, freshwater resources, and the ocean. Building on these efforts, the President is also
directing federal agencies to identify and evaluate additional approaches to improve our natural
defenses against extreme weather, protect biodiversity and conserve natural resources in the face
of a changing climate, and manage our public lands and natural systems to store more carbon.
Maintaining Agricultural Sustainability: Building on the existing network of federal climate-
science research and action centers, the Department of Agriculture is creating seven new
Regional Climate Hubs to deliver tailored, science-based knowledge to farmers, ranchers, and
forest landowners. These hubs will work with universities and other partners, including the
Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to support
climate resilience. Its Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Department of the
Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation are also providing grants and technical support to agricultural
water users for more water-efficient practices in the face of drought and long-term climate
change.
Managing Drought: Leveraging the work of the National Disaster Recovery Framework for
drought, the Administration will launch a cross-agency National Drought Resilience Partnership
as a “front door” for communities seeking help to prepare for future droughts and reduce drought
impacts. By linking information (monitoring, forecasts, outlooks, and early warnings) with
drought preparedness and longer-term resilience strategies in critical sectors, this effort will help
communities manage drought-related risks.
Reducing Wildfire Risks: With tribes, states, and local governments as partners, the
Administration has worked to make landscapes more resistant to wildfires, which are
exacerbated by heat and drought conditions resulting from climate change. Federal agencies will
expand and prioritize forest and rangeland restoration efforts in order to make natural areas and
communities less vulnerable to catastrophic fire. The Department of the Interior and Department
of Agriculture, for example, are launching a Western Watershed Enhancement Partnership – a
pilot effort in five western states to reduce wildfire risk by removing extra brush and other
flammable vegetation around critical areas such as water reservoirs.
Preparing for Future Floods: To ensure that projects funded with taxpayer dollars last as long
as intended, federal agencies will update their flood-risk reduction standards for federally funded
projects to reflect a consistent approach that accounts for sea-level rise and other factors
affecting flood risks. This effort will incorporate the most recent science on expected rates of
sea-level rise (which vary by region) and build on work done by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding
Task Force, which announced in April 2013 that all federally funded Sandy-related rebuilding
projects must meet a consistent flood risk reduction standard that takes into account increased
risk from extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and other impacts of climate change.
III.
Using Sound Science to Manage Climate Impacts
Scientific data and insights are essential to help government officials, communities, and
businesses better understand and manage the risks associated with climate change. The
Administration will continue to lead in advancing the science of climate measurement and
adaptation and the development of tools for climate-relevant decision-making by focusing on
increasing the availability, accessibility, and utility of relevant scientific tools and information.
Specific actions will include:
Developing Actionable Climate Science: The President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget provides
more than $2.7 billion, largely through the 13-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program, to
increase understanding of climate-change impacts, establish a public-private partnership to
explore risk and catastrophe modeling, and develop the information and tools needed by
decision-makers to respond to both long-term climate change impacts and near-term effects of
extreme weather.
Assessing Climate-Change Impacts in the United States: In the spring of 2014, the Obama
Administration will release the third U.S. National Climate Assessment, highlighting new
advances in our understanding of climate-change impacts across all regions of the United States
and on critical sectors of the economy, including transportation, energy, agriculture, and
ecosystems and biodiversity. For the first time, the National Climate Assessment will focus not
only on dissemination of scientific information but also on translating scientific insights into
practical, useable knowledge that can help decision-makers anticipate and prepare for specific
climate-change impacts.
Launching a Climate Data Initiative: Consistent with the President’s May 2013 Executive
Order on Open Data – and recognizing that freely available open government data can fuel
entrepreneurship, innovation, scientific discovery, and public benefits – the Administration is
launching a Climate Data Initiative to leverage extensive federal climate-relevant data to
stimulate innovation and private-sector entrepreneurship in support of national climate-change
preparedness.
Providing a Toolkit for Climate Resilience: Federal agencies will create a virtual climate-
resilience toolkit that centralizes access to data-driven resilience tools, services, and best
practices, including those developed through the Climate Data Initiative. The toolkit will provide
easy access to existing resources as well as new tools, including: interactive sea-level rise maps
and a sea-level-rise calculator to aid post-Sandy rebuilding in New York and New Jersey, new
NOAA storm surge models and interactive maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration that provide risk information by combining tidal data, projected sea levels and
storm wave heights, a web-based tool that will allow developers to integrate NASA climate
imagery into websites and mobile apps, access to the U.S. Geological Survey’s “visualization
tool” to assess the amount of carbon absorbed by landscapes, and a Stormwater Calculator and
Climate Assessment Tool developed to help local governments assess stormwater-control
measures under different precipitation and temperature scenarios.
LEAD INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
The Obama Administration is working to build on the actions that it is taking domestically to
achieve significant global greenhouse gas emission reductions and enhance climate preparedness
through major international initiatives focused on spurring concrete action, including bilateral
initiatives with China, India, and other major emitting countries. These initiatives not only serve
to support the efforts of the United States and others to achieve our goals for 2020, but also will
help us move beyond those and bend the post-2020 global emissions trajectory further. As a key
part of this effort, we are also working intensively to forge global responses to climate change
through a number of important international negotiations, including the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
I.
Working with Other Countries to Take Action to Address Climate Change
Enhancing Multilateral Engagement with Major Economies: In 2009, President Obama
launched the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, a high-level forum that brings
together 17 countries that account for approximately 75 percent of global greenhouse gas
emissions, in order to support the international climate negotiations and spur cooperative action
to combat climate change. The Forum has been successful on both fronts – having contributed
significantly to progress in the broader negotiations while also launching the Clean Energy
Ministerial to catalyze the development and deployment of clean energy and efficiency solutions.
We are proposing that the Forum build on these efforts by launching a major initiative this year
focused on further accelerating efficiency gains in the buildings sector, which accounts for
approximately one-third of global carbon pollutions from the energy sector.
Expanding Bilateral Cooperation with Major Emerging Economies:
From the outset, the Obama Administration has sought to intensify bilateral climate cooperation
with key major emerging economies, through initiatives like the U.S.-China Clean Energy
Research Center, the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy, and the Strategic Energy
Dialogue with Brazil.
We will be building on these successes and finding new areas for cooperation in the second term,
and we are already making progress: Just this month, President Obama and President Xi Jinping
of China reached an historic agreement at their first summit to work to use the expertise and
institutions of the Montreal Protocol to phase down the consumption and production of HFCs, a
highly potent greenhouse gas. The impact of phasing out HFCs by 2050 would be equivalent to
the elimination of two years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions from all sources.
Combatting Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: Pollutants such as methane, black carbon, and
many HFCs are relatively short-lived in the atmosphere, but have more potent greenhouse effects
than carbon dioxide. In February 2012, the United States launched the Climate and Clean Air
Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollution, which has grown to include more than 30
country partners and other key partners such as the World Bank and the U.N. Environment
Programme. Major efforts include reducing methane and black carbon from waste and landfills.
We are also leading through the Global Methane Initiative, which works with 42 partner
countries and an extensive network of over 1,100 private sector participants to reduce methane
emissions.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation: Greenhouse gas emissions
from deforestation, agriculture, and other land use constitute approximately one-third of global
emissions. In some developing countries, as much as 80 percent of these emissions come from
the land sector. To meet this challenge, the Obama Administration is working with partner
countries to put in place the systems and institutions necessary to significantly reduce global
land-use-related emissions, creating new models for rural development that generate climate
benefits, while conserving biodiversity, protecting watersheds, and improving livelihoods.
In 2012 alone, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s bilateral and regional forestry
programs contributed to reducing more than 140 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions,
including through support for multilateral initiatives such as the Forest Investment Program and
the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. In Indonesia, the Millennium Challenge Corporation is
funding a five-year “Green Prosperity” program that supports environmentally sustainable, low
carbon economic development in select districts.
The Obama Administration is also working to address agriculture-driven deforestation through
initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, which brings together governments, the
private sector, and civil society to reduce tropical deforestation related to key agricultural
commodities, which we will build upon.
Expanding Clean Energy Use and Cut Energy Waste: Roughly 84 percent of current carbon
dioxide emissions are energy-related and about 65 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions can
be attributed to energy supply and energy use. The Obama Administration has promoted the
expansion of renewable, clean, and efficient energy sources and technologies worldwide
through:
• Financing and regulatory support for renewable and clean energy projects
• Actions to promote fuel switching from oil and coal to natural gas or renewables
• Support for the safe and secure use of nuclear power
• Cooperation on clean coal technologies
• Programs to improve and disseminate energy efficient technologies
In the past three years we have reached agreements with more than 20 countries around the
world, including Mexico, South Africa, and Indonesia, to support low emission development
strategies that help countries to identify the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while
growing their economies. Among the many initiatives that we have launched are:
• The U.S. Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative, which aligns grant-based assistance
with project planning expertise from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and
financing and risk mitigation tools from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment
Corporation to unlock up to $1 billion in clean energy financing.
• The U.S.-Asia Pacific Comprehensive Energy Partnership, which has identified $6 billion
in U.S. export credit and government financing to promote clean energy development in
the Asia-Pacific region.
Looking ahead, we will target these and other resources towards greater penetration of
renewables in the global energy mix on both a small and large scale, including through our
participation in the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative and accelerating the commercialization
of renewable mini-grids. These efforts include:
• Natural Gas. Burning natural gas is about one-half as carbon-intensive as coal, which
can make it a critical “bridge fuel” for many countries as the world transitions to even
cleaner sources of energy. Toward that end, the Obama Administration is partnering with
states and private companies to exchange lessons learned with our international partners
on responsible development of natural gas resources. We have launched the
Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program to share best practices on issues
such as water management, methane emissions, air quality, permitting, contracting, and
pricing to help increase global gas supplies and facilitate development of the associated
infrastructure that brings them to market. Going forward, we will promote fuel-switching
from coal to gas for electricity production and encourage the development of a global
market for gas. Since heavy-duty vehicles are expected to account for 40 percent of
increased oil use through 2030, we will encourage the adoption of heavy duty natural gas
vehicles as well.
• Nuclear Power. The United States will continue to promote the safe and secure use of
nuclear power worldwide through a variety of bilateral and multilateral engagements. For
example, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission advises international partners on
safety and regulatory best practices, and the Department of Energy works with
international partners on research and development, nuclear waste and storage, training,
regulations, quality control, and comprehensive fuel leasing options. Going forward, we
will expand these efforts to promote nuclear energy generation consistent with
maximizing safety and nonproliferation goals.
• Clean Coal. The United States works with China, India, and other countries that
currently rely heavily on coal for power generation to advance the development and
deployment of clean coal technologies. In addition, the U.S. leads the Carbon
Sequestration Leadership Forum, which engages 23 other countries and economies on
carbon capture and sequestration technologies. Going forward, we will continue to use
these bilateral and multilateral efforts to promote clean coal technologies.
• Energy Efficiency. The Obama Administration has aggressively promoted energy
efficiency through the Clean Energy Ministerial and key bilateral programs. The cost-
effective opportunities are enormous: The Ministerial’ s Super-Efficient Equipment and
Appliance Deployment Initiative and its Global Superior Energy Performance
Partnership are helping to accelerate the global adoption of standards and practices that
would cut energy waste equivalent to more than 650 mid-size power plants by 2030. We
will work to expand these efforts focusing on several critical areas, including: improving
building efficiency, reducing energy consumption at water and wastewater treatment
facilities, and expanding global appliance standards.
Negotiating Global Free Trade in Environmental Goods and Services: The U.S. will work
with trading partners to launch negotiations at the World Trade Organization towards global free
trade in environmental goods, including clean energy technologies such as solar, wind, hydro and
geothermal. The U.S. will build on the consensus it recently forged among the 21 Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in this area. In 2011, APEC economies agreed to
reduce tariffs to 5 percent or less by 2015 on a negotiated list of 54 environmental goods. The
APEC list will serve as a foundation for a global agreement in the WTO, with participating
countries expanding the scope by adding products of interest. Over the next year, we will work
towards securing participation of countries which account for 90 percent of global trade in
environmental goods, representing roughly $481 billion in annual environmental goods trade.
We will also work in the Trade in Services Agreement negotiations towards achieving free trade
in environmental services.
Phasing Out Subsidies that Encourage Wasteful Consumption of Fossil Fuels: The
International Energy Agency estimates that the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies – which amount
to more than $500 billion annually – would lead to a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions below business as usual by 2050. At the 2009 G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, the United
States successfully advocated for a commitment to phase out these subsidies, and we have since
won similar commitments in other fora such as APEC. President Obama is calling for the
elimination of U.S. fossil fuel tax subsidies in his Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 budget, and we will
continue to collaborate with partners around the world toward this goal.
Leading Global Sector Public Financing Towards Cleaner Energy: Under this
Administration, the United States has successfully mobilized billions of dollars for clean energy
investments in developing countries, helping to accelerate their transition to a green, low-carbon
economy. Building on these successes, the President calls for an end to U.S. government support
for public financing of new coal plants overseas, except for (a) the most efficient coal technology
available in the world’s poorest countries in cases where no other economically feasible
alternative exists, or (b) facilities deploying carbon capture and sequestration technologies. As
part of this new commitment, we will work actively to secure the agreement of other countries
and the multilateral development banks to adopt similar policies as soon as possible.
Strengthening Global Resilience to Climate Change: Failing to prepare adequately for the
impacts of climate change that can no longer be avoided will put millions of people at risk,
jeopardizing important development gains, and increasing the security risks that stem from
climate change. That is why the Obama Administration has made historic investments in
bolstering the capacity of countries to respond to climate-change risks. Going forward, we will
continue to:
• Strengthen government and local community planning and response capacities, such as
by increasing water storage and water use efficiency to cope with the increased
variability in water supply
• Develop innovative financial risk management tools such as index insurance to help
smallholder farmers and pastoralists manage risk associated with changing rainfall
patterns and drought
• Distribute drought-resistant seeds and promote management practices that increase
farmers’ ability to cope with climate impacts.
Mobilizing Climate Finance: International climate finance is an important tool in our efforts to
promote low-emissions, climate-resilient development. We have fulfilled our joint developed
country commitment from the Copenhagen Accord to provide approximately $30 billion of
climate assistance to developing countries over FY 2010-FY 2012. The United States contributed
approximately $7.5 billion to this effort over the three year period. Going forward, we will seek
to build on this progress as well as focus our efforts on combining our public resources with
smart policies to mobilize much larger flows of private investment in low-emissions and climate
resilient infrastructure.
II.
Leading Efforts to Address Climate Change through International Negotiations
The United States has made historic progress in the international climate negotiations during the
past four years. At the Copenhagen Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2009, President Obama and other world leaders agreed for the
first time that all major countries, whether developed or developing, would implement targets or
actions to limit greenhouse emissions, and do so under a new regime of international
transparency. And in 2011, at the year-end climate meeting in Durban, we achieved another
breakthrough: Countries agreed to negotiate a new agreement by the end of 2015 that would
have equal legal force and be applicable to all countries in the period after 2020. This was an
important step beyond the previous legal agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, whose core obligations
applied to developed countries, not to China, India, Brazil or other emerging countries.
The 2015 climate conference is slated to play a critical role in defining a post-2020 trajectory.
We will be seeking an agreement that is ambitious, inclusive and flexible. It needs to be
ambitious to meet the scale of the challenge facing us. It needs to be inclusive because there is
no way to meet that challenge unless all countries step up and play their part. And it needs to be
flexible because there are many differently situated parties with their own needs and imperatives,
and those differences will have to be accommodated in smart, practical ways.
At the same time as we work toward this outcome in the UNFCCC context, we are making
progress in a variety of other important negotiations as well. At the Montreal Protocol, we are
leading efforts in support of an amendment that would phase down HFCs; at the International
Maritime Organization, we have agreed to and are now implementing the first-ever sector-wide,
internationally applicable energy efficiency standards; and at the International Civil Aviation
Organization, we have ambitious aspirational emissions and energy efficiency targets and are
working towards agreement to develop a comprehensive global approach.