During his 2020 campaign, President Joe Biden promised to go net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which would make America completely independent from the use of fossil fuels and help curb climate change. Biden implemented a series of policies to fulfill this promise. However, much of his actions may not be enough to substantially combat the climate crisis past his presidency.

Joe Biden, on his first day in office, January 20, 2021, enacted a plethora of executive orders. Many of these mandates are designed to combat climate change. This includes sections to reduce carbon emissions, preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, prevent the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, and re-join the Paris Agreement.

By January 2022 all government agencies must provide data on their division – specifically the ‘social cost of carbon’ (SCC), ‘social cost of nitrous oxide’ (SCN), and ‘social cost of methane’ (SCM) – which measure the extra expenses of climate change. These assessments will be submitted and examined by the National Climate Advisor, who will have input on how agencies will reduce their carbon emissions. 

Up north in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, oil drilling threatens the habitat of native animal species, the livelihood of the Indigenous Gwich’in people, and ultimately increases the effects of climate change by introducing more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere through their consumption. Commendably, Section 4 of Biden’s Executive Orders declares, “In light of the alleged legal deficiencies underlying the program…The Secretary of Interior shall…place a temporary moratorium on all activities of the Federal Government relating to the implementation of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program…in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.” For the next four years, the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge is free from oil drilling. 

Another such protection to the Arctic National Wildlife refuge is the cancellation of the March 2019 Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The government is assessing the impact of the pipeline, and Section 4 concluded that, “the United States must prioritize the development of a clean energy economy.”  If the pipeline were to be constructed, as have been allowed to do so by the Trump administration in 2017, the pipeline would pose a serious threat to the people and native wildlife living there. According to the New York Times, the pipeline leaked more than 383,000 gallons of crude oil in a half-acre of pristine environment in 2019, and has a record of habitat-ruining with the thousands of spilled oil per year. Furthermore, allowing the pipeline to be built would not be a good look for America to its allies, who have high hopes for this country to help them prevent climate change.  

Among the many executive orders, Biden has officially re-joined the Paris Agreement, by which the United States would help limit global warming to less then 2 degrees Celsius (or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). By agreeing to the terms set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United States would be forced to move on a steady track toward a net-zero country.

Though all these executive orders bring us closer to a clean energy economy, every one of these acts are temporary unless made into laws by Congress and the Senate. This means that the next president – if Biden or someone with the same priorities aren’t re-elected – could dismiss these mandates, bringing America no closer to a net-zero country than if Biden’s executive orders were never created. 

While Biden promises to go net-zero by 2050, many Americans don’t realize the loftiness of this goal. According to the National Public Radio, the “US is second-largest producer of carbon emissions and has contributed more to global climate change over time than every other country.” Biden will have to make major changes to reduce climate emissions, and will have to create a firm foundation for future presidents to finish this goal to the end.