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Biden to announce executive actions on fighting climate change

David Brancaccio, Nancy Marshall-Genzer, and Rose Conlon Jan 26, 2021
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The coming executive actions are a start, but in order for Biden to meet the ambitious goals he’s set on climate change, he’ll need legislation passed by Congress. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Biden to announce executive actions on fighting climate change

David Brancaccio, Nancy Marshall-Genzer, and Rose Conlon Jan 26, 2021
Heard on:
The coming executive actions are a start, but in order for Biden to meet the ambitious goals he’s set on climate change, he’ll need legislation passed by Congress. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
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President Joe Biden is expected to announce several moves on climate change and environmental conservation on Wednesday.

Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer has some details. The following is an edited transcript of her conversation with “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio.

David Brancaccio: What are some specifics?

Nancy Marshall-Genzer: Biden will be signing an executive order that will kick off a series of regulatory actions and elevate climate change to a national security priority. The New York Times is reporting that the order will require that 30% of all federal land and water be conserved by 2030, and eventually ban new drilling leases on federal land.

Brancaccio: That’s significant.

Marshall-Genzer: It’s a start. But, this ban we’re talking about would only affect drilling on federal land. Jonathan Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, broke it down for us.

Jonathan Adler: The overall effect of preventing new leases for fossil fuel development on federal lands will actually be relatively modest. Federal lands accounted for about 20%, 22% of oil development in the United States, only about, I think, 12% of natural gas development.

Marshall-Genzer: President Biden is also expected to create some new government jobs and commissions focused on climate change — specifically things like job creation and environmental justice.

Brancaccio: This executive order is — what should we a say — a step toward what he promised?

Marshall-Genzer: Professor Adler says it won’t get President Biden to the ambitious goals he’s set on climate change. He’ll need legislation, passed by Congress, to make really big changes, like creating a carbon tax.

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