WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 as he convenes a virtual climate summit with 40 world leaders.
That's according to three people with knowledge of the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them.
The 50% target would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well.
The Washington Post was the first to report the U.S. target. Sources told the newspaper that the Biden administration will likely offer broad stokes at first rather than lay out a detailed plan on how it will meet the ambitious target.
Those sources also told The Post that officials are considering a target range that could go above 50%.
The nonbinding but symbolically important pledge is a key element of the two-day summit, which begins Thursday as world leaders gather online to share strategies to combat climate change.
The increased goal comes at a time when some major companies have signed The Climate Pledge, which aims to achieve net zero annual carbon emissions by 2040. Wednesday, co-founder Amazon announced that more than 100 companies have now signed the pledge, including brands like Alaska Airlines, Colgate-Palmolive, Heineken, PepsiCo and Visa.
