President Biden Ran and Won on Climate. But There Are Still Promises Left Unfulfilled. Here’s What Needs To Happen by the End of His 1st Term

Today, Evergreen Action released, The Fourth Quarter: A Game Plan for Executive Climate Action in the Last Year of President Biden’s First Term, a new report detailing the critical to-do list the Biden administration must complete in order to deliver on his climate and environmental justice commitments through the end of his first term in office. 

During his time in the White House, President Biden has accomplished more on climate than any other American president in history. He secured passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), ushering in the largest investments in climate and clean energy in our nation’s history,  solidified his commitment to support historically-burdened communities through the Justice40 Initiative, and is delivering for the next generation of clean energy workers with the American Climate Corps. The administration, in its best moments, has shown how bold climate action can support a strong working class and healthier communities. 

But the clock is ticking, and the job isn’t done yet. To meet the moment and the demands of the climate crisis, while delivering on the commitments the president made to the American people, President Biden’s administration still has much to accomplish before the end of his first term. 

Read the full to-do list report here.

“President Biden has already established a record as the most successful climate and clean energy president in American history—but his work isn’t done yet,” said Evergreen Action Interim Policy Director Rachel Patterson. “The president can’t drop the ball in the fourth quarter if he’s serious about delivering on his climate commitments. To avoid wasting once-in-a-generation policy-making opportunities, Biden has his work cut out with a critical 2024 to-do list. This includes wielding a suite of executive actions key to addressing climate pollution, halting oil and gas expansion, furthering equitable implementation of federal clean energy funds, and more. To really meet the moment, and the demands of the climate crisis, the president and his administration need to turn things up a notch, and finish his first term strong.” 

Evergreen’s fourth-quarter game plan outlines three essential steps the Biden administration must take to cut climate pollution and deliver for communities, including:

Step 1. Finalize key climate regulations

More climate action through stronger federal regulations and pollution standards, transmission planning and citing, and more. Including:

• Clean power 
• Clean transportation 
• Clean buildings 

Step 2. Equitably and effectively align climate investments

The Biden administration needs to put the IRA into action and funnel the billions of newly available dollars into supporting clean energy development, growing our clean energy workforce, empowering long-underfunded state and local governments, and prioritizing historically burdened communities that stand to benefit the most. This includes increased focus on:

• Effective and equitable implementation of billions of IRA dollars
• Technical assistance and guidance for IRA programs

Step 3. Strategically exercise executive authority   

President Biden must continue to wield this power to advance important climate action over the next year through:

• Utility accountability 
• Halting oil and gas expansion

You can dig into the details of Biden’s end-of-first-term climate to-do list in the full report here.