Biden to commit to halving US emissions by 2030: report

The Biden administration is expected to commit to cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030, two people briefed on the matter told The Washington Post.

A White House spokesperson declined The Hill’s request for comment. A White House official told the Post that a final decision hadn’t been made.

Biden is slated to announce his emissions reduction target for 2030 on Thursday, updating the country’s commitment under the Paris agreement.

Every several years, countries update their interim targets under the global climate agreement, which aims to limit the planet’s warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels.

The Obama administration pledged to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 percent compared with 2005 levels by 2025.

The Post’s sources told the newspaper that officials are weighing a target range, which could go above 50 percent on its upper end.

They reportedly also said that the administration will probably give broad strokes instead of more details into how it will reach the target.

The anticipated announcement will be tied to both Earth Day and a virtual climate summit with other world leaders that will be hosted by the White House.

A number of businesses, European leaders and environmental groups have recently called for the White House to aim for at least a 50 percent emissions cut by 2030.