Joe Biden signs executive orders on climate change and the environment

Climate change is one of the issues that Joe Biden plans to tackle directly during his term as president. Biden has taken another step further by signing related executive orders.

Speaking to the reporters that were present at the White House during the signing, Biden said that there is no time to lose when it came to acting to combat the climate change issue. The president added that the United States must lead the global response to climate change as well. The latest executive orders involve the establishment of the White House Office of domestic climate policy as well as announcing a group of leaders on Earth Day. Officials have said that climate change and Biden’s plan to combat the problem is of a national security and foreign policy priority.

Biden has also called on the DNI to prepare an intelligence report on the implications this could have on security. A White House statement revealed that Biden is instructing the Department of Interior to pause on oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands and bodies of water as well as to conduct a review of the existing energy leases. Biden seeks to conserve at least 30 percent of the lands and oceans by 2030.

However, even as the US is actively fighting climate change, it would take the cooperation of the rest of the world to become more effective. “He knows Paris alone isn’t enough,” said former Secretary of State John Kerry, who now serves as the administration’s climate envoy. Kerry referenced the US’ rejoining of the Paris Climate Agreement, which Biden signed shortly after taking his oath of office. “Not when almost 90% of all the planet’s global emissions come from outside US borders. We could go to zero tomorrow and the problem isn’t solved.”

Among the other executive actions that Biden has taken in his first full week of office was to end private prisons. This is in part of the administration’s goal to address racial inequality and fulfill his promises to Black Americans and continue what was established during the Obama administration. This would direct the Justice Department to decline renewing contracts with privately-owned and for-profit prisons.