How Biden Can Make the US a Global Leader on Climate Action

The briefing argues that the Biden administration can reclaim U.S. climate leadership by submitting a robust national climate commitment (NDC) of 45-50% emissions reductions by 2030, increasing financial support for developing countries through the Green Climate Fund and other mechanisms, and integrating climate change as a core foreign policy issue through strategic bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

• To regain leadership, the U.S. should submit a bold nationally determined contribution (NDC) before COP26 that puts the country on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. WRI specifically recommends a target to reduce emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2030, noting that action from cities, states, and businesses alone could already achieve a 37% reduction.
• The U.S. must increase financial support for developing countries to help them cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This includes paying $2 billion in outstanding pledges to the Green Climate Fund from 2014, contributing to the Adaptation Fund, and increasing funding for the Global Environment Facility.
• The administration should align public and private financial flows with the Paris Agreement by phasing out fossil fuel financing. This involves re-orienting the U.S. Development Finance Corporation and the U.S. Export-Import Bank, challenging China's Belt and Road Initiative coal financing, and urging allies like Japan and South Korea to stop financing coal plants abroad.
• Climate change should be treated as a core foreign policy issue, utilizing forums such as the G7, G20, APEC, and the Arctic Council. Key diplomatic priorities include collaborating with the EU, engaging with major emitters like India, Indonesia, and Brazil, and establishing a working relationship with China, the world's other largest emitter.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). How Biden Can Make the US a Global Leader on Climate Action. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-biden-can-make-us-global-leader-climate-action

Chicago

World Resources Institute. How Biden Can Make the US a Global Leader on Climate Action. 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-biden-can-make-us-global-leader-climate-action.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=How Biden Can Make the US a Global Leader on Climate Action |date=12 November 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/how-biden-can-make-us-global-leader-climate-action |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020how, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{How Biden Can Make the US a Global Leader on Climate Action}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/how-biden-can-make-us-global-leader-climate-action}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }