Signs of Hope for US Federal Climate Action in 2021

This RMI briefing outlines recent US federal legislative activity and executive appointments at the end of 2020 that signal an increase in climate action for 2021. It highlights the passage of an energy package within coronavirus relief legislation, the introduction of bipartisan and renewable energy bills, and the strategic appointment of climate-focused personnel to the incoming Biden administration's cabinet.

• The omnibus coronavirus relief legislation signed by President Trump included a significant energy package featuring tax credit extensions for solar (two years) and wind (one year), $14 billion for transit agencies, and up to $35 billion over 10 years for R&D in energy storage, carbon capture, renewable energy, and grid modernization. It also expanded weatherization programs for low-income households and established a wind technician training grant program and advanced solar manufacturing initiative.
• A critical provision in the omnibus legislation commits to reducing the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% over 15 years. Because HFCs are significantly more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide, phasing them out could potentially reduce global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius, which represents one third of the 1.5°C global warming limit.
• Two additional bills were introduced in December 2020: the Trillion Trees and Natural Carbon Storage Act, a bipartisan effort to plant trees and reduce deforestation, and the American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act. The latter proposes a national renewable energy standard of 55 percent by 2030 and energy efficiency savings goals for electricity (22 percent) and natural gas (14 percent) by 2035, including double renewable energy certificates (RECs) for projects in environmental justice communities.
• The incoming Biden administration has created new cabinet-level positions to prioritize climate change, including the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (John Kerry) and the National Climate Advisor (Gina McCarthy) leading the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy. Additionally, climate expertise is being integrated into non-environmental roles, such as the director of the National Economic Council (Brian Deese) and the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (Xavier Becerra).

APA

RMI (2020). Signs of Hope for US Federal Climate Action in 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/signs-of-hope-for-us-federal-climate-action-in-2021/

Chicago

RMI. Signs of Hope for US Federal Climate Action in 2021. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/signs-of-hope-for-us-federal-climate-action-in-2021/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Signs of Hope for US Federal Climate Action in 2021 |date=28 December 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/signs-of-hope-for-us-federal-climate-action-in-2021/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020signs, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Signs of Hope for US Federal Climate Action in 2021}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/signs-of-hope-for-us-federal-climate-action-in-2021/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }