"The fate of the imperiled Build Back Better bill in Congress will have major consequences for America’s ability to tackle climate change, researchers have estimated."
"If the bill passes in something like its current form, with hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy, the United States could get within striking distance of President Biden’s goal to cut the country’s planet-warming emissions in half by 2030. That could bolster global efforts to stave off a drastic rise in temperatures.
But if the bill dies, it could prove extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the United States to meet those aggressive climate targets. This week, Senator Joe Manchin III, a key Democratic swing vote, said he opposed the current version of the bill, putting legislative talks on the brink of collapse.
“There’s still a yawning gap between where we are today and where we need to be to hit President Biden’s climate targets,” said Jesse Jenkins, an energy systems engineer at Princeton University who has led an effort to model the effects of the Build Back Better bill on U.S. emissions. “Without either this bill or a climate bill that’s similar in scope, it’s really hard to see how those goals will be met.”"
Brad Plumer and Nadja Popovich report for the New York Times December 21, 2021.
SEE ALSO:
"‘Unforgiving’: U.S. Climate Goals Veer Toward Failure" (E&E News)
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