Joe Biden is under pressure to declare a national climate emergency as temperatures soar across the US and Europe.
Facing political gridlock in Washington, the president could make such an announcement – which would unlock federal resources to address the crisis – as soon as this week, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
Biden will visit a coal-turned-wind power plant in Massachusetts on Wednesday, to promote his climate action efforts.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Biden would announce “additional actions” to fight the climate crisis on Wednesday but ruled out the declaration of a national emergency for now.
“He’s not going to just stop with the actions of tomorrow but I would not plan an announcement this week on national climate emergency,” Jean-Pierre said at the daily White House briefing. “Again, everything is on the table. It’s just not going to be this week on that decision … I don’t have a date circled on the calendar.”
The president indicated last week that he would take steps to reduce carbon emissions after the West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin – a crucial swing vote in the evenly divided Senate – withdrew support for climate legislation Democrats had hoped to pass before leaving Washington for the August recess and as they face tough midterm elections in November.
But the president’s ability to work around Congress remains limited and the impact of declaring a climate emergency, for all its symbolism, remains ambiguous.
Lack of comprehensive action puts at risk goals to curb global heating.
The Post’s report noted that some climate activists have argued that declaring an emergency would allow Biden “to halt crude oil exports, limit oil and gas drilling in federal waters, and direct agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency to boost renewable energy sources”.
However, such measures could face legal challenges from Republicans critical of what they perceive as executive overreach.
Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative National Review magazine, tweeted in response to the report: “Yet again [the White House] advertises contempt for the rules of our constitutional republic.”
The constraints were underlined last month when the supreme court effectively restricted the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing emissions rules involving matters of great “economic and political significance”.
Democrats, however, are eager to see Biden take action as the planetary alarm rings ever louder: CNN reported that nearly 20% of the US population will probably see a temperature at or above 100F (37.7C) this week. Britain recorded its highest ever temperature of 104F (40C) as the heatwave gripping Europe intensified.
Two Senate Democrats, Jeff Merkley and Sheldon Whitehouse, urged the president to declare a climate emergency and use the Defense Production Act – designed for use in wartime – to increase production of renewable energy products and systems including solar panels.
Merkley tweeted: “[Biden] needs to go big on climate – starting by declaring a climate emergency so we can take bold action NOW on the disastrous impacts climate chaos has on our health, environment, and economy.”
Whitehouse, who has called for tighter carbon regulations for vehicles and power plants and possible federal litigation against the fossil fuel industry, told reporters: “I’ve talked to the White House about going on offense and being aggressive and doing all the things that it is within the executive powers to do that have not so far been done.”
The brutal contrast between political inaction and catastrophic global heating has led some to question whether America’s institutions of government are fit for purpose. David Axelrod, a former strategist for Barack Obama, tweeted: “We are fiddling as the world burns.”
Biden has been trying to signal to voters that he is tackling global heating at a time when some supporters have despaired about the lack of progress. He has pledged to push forward on his own in the absence of congressional action.
Jared Bernstein, a White House economic adviser, told reporters: “The president will aggressively fight to attack climate change because he knows it’s one of the reasons he’s here. And it is absolutely core to transitioning from where we are to where we need to be.”
Manchin and Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, had been in talks about $300bn in tax credits for industries including solar and wind power, carbon capture from power plants and nuclear power, which generates virtually emissions-free electricity. Manchin has blamed inflation for his rejection of spending on climate legislation.
Activists have warned that time is running out for the US to cut emissions and encourage other countries to do the same. Scientists say inaction will lead to “irreversible” impacts such as heatwaves, floods, wildfires and a mass upheaval of displaced people.
Ben King, an associate director at the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm, told the AP the US is “nowhere close” to meeting goals set by Biden for reducing emissions.
Biden escalated the US emissions reduction target of 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Under policies in place at the federal and state level, the US is on track to reach a reduction of 24% to 35%, according to the Rhodium Group.
