Top 10 Priorities for President Biden to Tackle the Climate Crisis

This WRI commentary by Dan Lashof outlines 10 high-impact priority actions for the Biden administration to address the climate crisis, emphasizing a whole-of-government response that integrates economic recovery, racial justice, and aggressive emissions reductions.

• The Biden administration is urged to commit to reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2030. This target is described as the minimum necessary to align with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C, though the upper end of the range would likely require new legislation from Congress.
• A proposed $2 trillion climate-smart stimulus package is recommended to stimulate the economy and grow the clean energy industry. The plan suggests that at least 40% of this funding should benefit disadvantaged communities and include investments in both current technologies (solar, wind, electric vehicles) and future ones like clean hydrogen and zero-emissions steel.
• The document recommends a transition to zero-emission transportation, specifically calling for all new passenger vehicles sold after 2035 to produce zero emissions. It also suggests electrifying buses and medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles to reduce pollution in low-income communities and communities of color.
• To decarbonize the power sector and enable the electrification of other industries, the administration should implement clean electricity standards targeting 55% by 2025, 75% by 2030, and 100% by 2035.
• The administration should target 'super pollutants' by implementing the Kigali amendments to phase down HFCs and reinstating Obama-era rules to curb methane leaks from natural gas.
• The document advocates for the electrification of buildings and industry, suggesting that electric heat pumps replace fossil gas, oil, or propane for heat and hot water. It notes that approximately 12% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions originate from burning these fuels in homes and buildings.
• To address hard-to-abate sectors, the administration should set emission performance standards for cement, steel, and plastics, while providing funding for research and using federal purchasing power to create markets for clean products.
• The United States must scale up carbon dioxide removal to compensate for past emissions and difficult-to-eliminate sources. This includes natural sequestration through trees and soils, as well as technological solutions like direct air capture and carbon mineralization.
• International leadership should be reestablished by rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, submitting a new national climate plan to the UN, delivering $2 billion in outstanding pledges to the Green Climate Fund, and using the G7 and G20 to finance climate-smart infrastructure in developing countries.
• The document argues that carbon pricing is an essential component of an effective climate plan to hold emitters accountable and ensure science-based reductions are met if other measures fail.

APA

Lashof, D. (2020). Top 10 Priorities for President Biden to Tackle the Climate Crisis. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/top-10-priorities-president-biden-tackle-climate-crisis

Chicago

Lashof, Dan. Top 10 Priorities for President Biden to Tackle the Climate Crisis. World Resources Institute, 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/top-10-priorities-president-biden-tackle-climate-crisis.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lashof |first1=Dan |title=Top 10 Priorities for President Biden to Tackle the Climate Crisis |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=7 November 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/top-10-priorities-president-biden-tackle-climate-crisis |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lashof2020top, author = {Lashof, Dan}, title = {{Top 10 Priorities for President Biden to Tackle the Climate Crisis}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/top-10-priorities-president-biden-tackle-climate-crisis}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }