{"id":2649,"date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www-prod.greenpeace.org\/usa\/campaign-updates\/2649\/president-biden-year-1-climate-progress-report\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T07:43:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:43:03","slug":"president-biden-year-1-climate-progress-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/president-biden-year-1-climate-progress-report\/","title":{"rendered":"President Biden’s Year 1 Climate Progress Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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President Biden promised to pursue ambitious climate goals and to challenge the power of the fossil fuel industry. Can he accomplish what science and justice demand?<\/p>\n\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n

President Biden\u2019s first year in office resulted in some victories for our communities and the climate, but there is work that remains unfinished and most initiatives lack the ambition to meet the demands of science and justice. <\/span>Widely popular policies<\/span><\/a>, like investments in clean energy and protections for vulnerable ecosystems, could become a reality if Congress passes the <\/span>Build Back Better Act<\/span><\/a> (BBB) without allowing fossil fuel interests to weaken it any further. The Act remains the biggest opportunity for President Biden and Congress to secure key climate policies. Unfortunately, the Act is currently stalled in the Senate.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The combined Build Back Better Act \u2013 if passed in its current state \u2013 and bipartisan infrastructure packages contain more than <\/span>$600 billion in proposed climate investments<\/span><\/a> as well as removal of some taxpayer-funded international fossil fuel subsidies. These are necessary steps to set the U.S. on a path to fulfill its climate commitments. However, neither bill does enough to address the out of control fossil fuel industry that continues to pollute our communities and drive us towards climate catastrophe. Key tools in phasing out fossil fuels such as eliminating the $15 billion in taxpayer-funded domestic subsidies that go to fossil fuel companies every year and establishing a Clean Energy Standard are notably absent from both bills.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n

It is true that President Biden\u2019s climate plan is more ambitious than any other president. Enacting that plan is where he is falling short. We are not on track to meet the global climate goal of limiting warming to under 1.5 degrees C that science says will prevent the worst effects of climate change<\/strong>. President Biden has delivered on only a few promises to communities that have suffered the most from fossil fuel pollution and exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The current gridlock in Congress has proven to be a major hurdle for President Biden to enact his climate plan, but he needs to do better at using every option available to him to close the gap between what current policies can achieve and what our communities need. So far, President Biden has been unwilling to use his executive powers to declare a climate emergency, which would allow him to reinstate the crude oil export ban and halt federal fossil fuel leasing on public lands.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Methodology<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Greenpeace USA graded President Biden on his administration\u2019s progress toward phasing out fossil fuels and enacting a Green New Deal. In 2020, Greenpeace USA graded then-candidate Biden on his campaign promises. The campaign promises and <\/span>official climate platform<\/span><\/a> put forth by candidate Biden earned a<\/strong> final score of 75.5 out of 100 points<\/strong>. Now that he is in office, the climate movement must hold President Biden to his campaign promises while inspiring him to go above and beyond those promises to meet the needs of our communities and do what science demands. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

This progress report measures President Biden\u2019s steps toward full implementation, as described below, with weighted criteria used to evaluate his campaign commitments. After his first <\/span>100 days in office<\/span><\/a>, we graded President Biden to track his progress (he scored 30\/100 then). We are now updating it after his first year in office and his score has increased to 36\/100<\/strong>. Take a look at <\/span>Biden\u2019s score breakdown over time here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The final score for this progress report update does NOT account for policies included in the draft Build Back Better Act, which is stalled in Congress at the time of publishing. Should that Act pass in its current form and be signed into law, President Biden\u2019s total score could increase to a total of 42.5 \/ 100. We also highlight some key climate policies that were cut from the Build Back Better Act to emphasize the areas where President Biden will need to make up the gap with big, bold regulatory action in his second year.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Progress Toward Action Key<\/h3>\n\n
\u24e7 No action<\/h5>\n\n
\ud83d\udd18 Words only<\/h5>\n\n
\u25d0 Some policy progress<\/h5>\n\n
\u26ab\ufe0f Campaign promise met<\/h5>\n\n
\u2605 Gold standard<\/h5>\n\n