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RECENT BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Unveils First-Ever Strategy to Advance Environmental Justice for Communities That Rely on the Ocean and Marine Resources
During the United Nations’ Conference of Parties (COP28) today, the Biden-Harris Administration unveiled the first-ever U.S. Ocean Justice Strategy to advance environmental justice for communities that rely on the ocean and Great Lakes for economic, cultural, spiritual, recreational, and food security purposes. For the first time, the federal government is outlining how it will integrate principles of equity and environmental justice in federal ocean activities, including conservation, management of marine resources, and infrastructure projects.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Action to Protect Communities from Lead Exposure
The Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure a future where every child and family can live safely in their communities without the fear and harmful effects of lead exposure. Today, as part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s vision for a lead-free future, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years, helping secure safe drinking water for communities across the country.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes to Strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule to Protect All Communities in America from Lead in Drinking Water
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems across the country to replace lead service lines within 10 years. EPA is also proposing additional improvements to protect public health, such as lowering the lead action level and improving sampling protocols utilized by water systems. Today’s proposed action significantly advances President Biden’s commitment to remove every lead service line in America to protect children and vulnerable populations from the negative impacts of lead in drinking water, particularly those living in disadvantaged communities.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Accelerate Environmental Justice in Disadvantaged Communities through the President’s Investing in America Agenda
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration published the list of Inflation Reduction Act programs working to advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. By expanding the Justice40 Initiative to include Inflation Reduction Act programs, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping ensure communities that have been historically underinvested in can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history and a core pillar of Bidenonomics.
PRESS RELEASE: FDA, USDA and EPA Propose National Strategy to Reduce U.S. Food Loss and Waste
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a national strategy that will drive progress toward the national goal to reduce food loss and waste in the U.S. by 50% by 2030. This action is a continuation of the three agencies’ collaborative efforts to build a more sustainable future. In the U.S., food is the single most common material found in landfills. More than one-third, nearly 100 million tons, of municipal waste stream is organic waste and food comprises sixty-six million tons of that waste.
The Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics identifies opportunities to reduce food loss and waste across the entire supply chain.
FACT SHEET: Marking the Two-Year Anniversary of the Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
Two years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration released the Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration. Today, the Administration is providing an update on actions taken under President Biden’s Executive Order 14013 Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration and efforts to address the effects of climate change on displacement and migration. Research estimates more than 216 million people could migrate within their countries as a result of climate change by 2050. Migration can be a necessary mechanism for survival for communities and families facing severe risk to personal safety, property damage, or loss of livelihood and is often the only option to meaningfully reduce that risk. Particular attention must be paid to the needs of communities that receive migrants displaced as a result of climate events, including access to housing, work, and education. Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States Federal government is working to implement a number of initiatives to improve the ability of vulnerable communities both at home and abroad to adapt to and manage the increasing impacts of the global climate crisis that contribute to displacement.
PRESS RELEASE: At COP28, Countries Launch Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050, Recognizing the Key Role of Nuclear Energy in Reaching Net Zero
During the World Climate Action Summit of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change today, more than 20 countries from four continents launched the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy. The Declaration recognizes the key role of nuclear energy in achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keeping the 1.5-degree goal within reach. Core elements of the declaration include working together to advance a goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050 and inviting shareholders of international financial institutions to encourage the inclusion of nuclear energy in energy lending policies. Endorsing countries include the United States, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. The full text of the Declaration is here.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at U.N. Climate Conference (COP28)
Since day one, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have treated climate change as the existential threat of our time. After spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad, the United States heads into the 28th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with unprecedented momentum. At COP28, the Biden-Harris Administration will urge other major economies to accelerate climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Draft National strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the “Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics” as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change and promote a circular economy. The draft strategy outlines specific EPA, USDA, and FDA actions to prevent the loss and waste of food and other organic wastes, reducing associated environmental impacts such as methane pollution, a potent contributor to climate change with 28 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced this draft national strategy during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as one of the United States’ key deliverables. This strategy is also a deliverable in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Standards to Slash Methane Pollution, Combat Climate Change, Protect Health, and Bolster American Innovation
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule that will sharply reduce methane and other harmful air pollutants from the oil and natural gas industry, including from hundreds of thousands of existing sources nationwide, promote the use of cutting-edge methane detection technologies, and deliver significant economic and public health benefits. The final action was announced by Administrator Michael S. Regan and President Biden’s National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda and day one commitment to restore the United States’ global leadership on climate change.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of $30.7 Million in Grants to Support Water Systems in Small and Rural Communities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of up to $30.7 million in grant funding for technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems, including those in rural communities. This grant provides funding to organizations that work side-by-side with water systems by giving them the necessary tools and training to ensure communities have safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment systems.
PRESS RELEASE: Three Million Acres of Land Returned to Tribes Through Interior Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations
The Department of the Interior today announced the conclusion of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, a decade-long effort to consolidate and return land to Tribal ownership. Over the course of the program, nearly 3 million acres in 15 states were consolidated and restored to Tribal trust ownership and $1.69 billion was paid to more than 123,000 interested individuals. Appropriated funding for the Buy-Back Program ended in November 2022, pursuant to the Settlement and Claims Resolution Act of 2010. As part of the Program’s conclusion, the Department released a report outlining the history, best practices and lessons learned through its implementation. The report emphasizes the need to continue land consolidation efforts and identifies policies and opportunities that could be considered to complement a robust voluntary sales effort.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Agreement with Imperial Irrigation District to Save 100,000 Acre-Feet of Water in Colorado River System
The Biden-Harris administration today announced an agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) that will conserve approximately 100,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead in 2023. The agreement includes approximately $77.6 million in new investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which will fund projects for water conservation, water efficiency, and protection of critical environmental resources in the Colorado River System this year.
PRESS RELEASE: United States Government Joins UN 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
Today, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28), the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced that the United States Government has joined the United Nations (UN) 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Compact. The 24/7 CFE Compact, which UN-Energy and Sustainable Energy for All launched in 2021, is a voluntary commitment with over 140 participants that aims to match every hour of electricity consumption, on every energy grid globally, with carbon-free sources of electricity production. Andrew Mayock, Chief Sustainability Officer for the U.S. Government, made the announcement at a special event hosted by Sustainable Energy for All at the SDG7 Pavilion during COP28 held in the United Arab Emirates. This commitment to power Federal operations with 24/7 CFE reflects a significant stride in the United States’ efforts to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. By joining the 24/7 CFE Compact, the U.S. Government underscores its commitment to grid decarbonization and climate action.
PRESS RELEASE: COP28: Governments with Huge Global Buying Power Double Down on their Commitment to Buy Green Steel, Cement, and Concrete
Today at COP28, some of the world’s largest purchasers of the most emission-intensive materials used in public construction projects strengthened their commitment to use their buying power to create a market demand for low and near-zero emission steel, cement, and concrete, helping to drive the global decarbonisation of these heavy industries. The governments of Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, member countries of the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), pledged to adopt timebound commitments to procure low emission steel, cement and concrete, and/or to set emissions reduction thresholds for whole project life cycle assessments to achieve net zero emissions in public buildings and/or built infrastructure. The commitments were made through IDDI’s Green Public Procurement Pledge. This aims to incentivise the low and near zero emission production and use of steel, cement and concrete.
PRESS RELEASE: Assistant Secretary Estenoz Highlights Commitment to Boosting the Clean Energy Economy, Honoring Indigenous Communities at COP28
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz kicked off a week-long series of events, meetings and activities at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai today. The Department of the Interior delegation’s participation at COP28 will highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious renewable energy goals and commitments to honoring Indigenous communities. Assistant Secretary Estenoz joined officials from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Portugal, the Philippines, Romania and Spain, along with leaders from the private sector, to discuss collaborative efforts to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind across the globe. The leaders spoke about strategies to strengthen supply chains, streamline processes, and create good-paying jobs in support of offshore wind goals. Assistant Secretary Estenoz highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach toward its ambitious renewable energy goals that will create good paying jobs, boost local economies, and help address environmental injustice, and progress towards the goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.
PRESS RELEASE: DOE Releases First in Series of Reports Highlighting Pathways Toward Clean Hydrogen EarthShot
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the findings of a report highlighting ways to achieve the Department’s goal of making hydrogen an affordable, abundant source of clean energy and examining different pathways to get there through thermal conversion. The report is the first of three assessments of clean-hydrogen production pathways for the Department’s Hydrogen Shot™, unveiled in June 2021 as the first goal of the Energy Earthshots Initiative™, a set of eight separate moonshots to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade. The Hydrogen Shot seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram by 2031. Clean hydrogen is a valuable energy carrier that can be produced with zero or near-zero carbon emissions and is crucial to meeting President Biden’s climate and energy security goals.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration makes $106 Million Available for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund as Part of Investing in America Agenda
Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA are announcing the availability of up to $106 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) for Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery and conservation projects. This funding — which includes funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — will support state and tribal salmon restoration projects and activities to protect, conserve and restore these fish populations and their habitats.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions and Historic Progress Supporting Tribal Nations and Native Communities Ahead of Third Annual White House Tribal Nations Summit
This week, President Biden will host the third annual White House Tribal Nations Summit of the Biden-Harris Administration. The Summit represents the President’s commitment to strengthening the Nation-to-Nation relationships the United States has with Tribal Nations by bringing Tribal leaders and top administration officials together to discuss the most important issues facing Tribal communities. Since taking office, President Biden has prioritized strengthening Nation-to-Nation relationships with Tribal Nations and advancing Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. And through the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration has made record investments to support Tribal Nations and Native communities.
PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Steps to Increase Co-Stewardship Opportunities, Incorporate Indigenous Knowledge, Protect Sacred Sites
The Department of the Interior today announced new steps to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship with Tribal Nations, including new efforts to increase Tribal co-stewardship of lands and waters, incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into the Department’s work, and preserve and protect sacred sites around the country.
PRESS RELEASE: White House Council on Native American Affairs Takes Steps to Increase Access to Capital Across Indian Country
In opening remarks at the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced that the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) is taking critical steps to improve access to capital across Indian Country, including through the launch of an online clearinghouse that will serve as a searchable repository for an up-to-date list of all federal funding opportunities, including grants and loans, available to Tribal Nations and Native businesses. The Biden-Harris administration has made historic amounts of funding available to Tribal Nations through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
PRESS RELEASE: At COP28, Net Zero World Showcases Progress in Transforming Emerging Energy Economies
During the 28th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United States and Net Zero World partner countries announced progress on building clean, secure energy systems in leading emerging economies. Net Zero World is the U.S. Department of Energy’s flagship initiative that works in partnership with major energy producing countries to develop and implement holistic approaches to decarbonizing their entire energy systems. It does so through a whole-of-government approach and by leveraging the world class expertise of ten National Laboratories to provide demand-driven assistance to energy ministers and their departments.
PRESS RELEASE: At White House Tribal Nations Summit, USDA Fulfills Long-Standing Tribal Requests to Strengthen Food Sovereignty and Expand Indigenous Roles in Forest Management
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced ways the Biden-Harris Administration is fulfilling long-standing Tribal requests for USDA to support and better partner with Tribal Nations in empowering Tribal food sovereignty and co-stewardship of federal lands and waters. Secretary Vilsack announced the first grant recipients under the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program, as well as advances in Forest Service co-stewardship with Tribes, including 120 new agreements totaling more than $68 million in investments. Secretary Vilsack also announced the inaugural appointees of the new Tribal Advisory Committee. |
