Biden WH criticizes US as one of world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters

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President Joe Biden’s administration took immediate action to address the U.S. energy imprint on Wednesday, and indicated a focus on domestic policies in its fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

During her first briefing as White House press secretary on Wednesday, Jen Psaki said it was important for U.S. leaders and citizens to be "models her at home" in the fight against the climate crisis.

"The United States continues to be one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases and we need to put in place policies and take steps here to address that," Psaki said.

According to recently updated data from nonprofit group the Union of Concerned Scientists, China is responsible for 28% of the globe’s carbon dioxide emissions.

The United States is responsible for 15%, while India produces 7% and Russia 5%.

Data from the Environmental Protection Agency from 2014 showed similar trends, with China at 30%, the U.S. at 15%, the European Union at 9% and India at 7%.

When it comes to forward-looking projections, however, emissions from the U.S. are expected to remain relatively flat, while those from China and India continue to rise.

KEYSTONE PIPELINE CANCELED, LET THE LAYOFFS BEGIN

Biden has made no secret of the fact that he would focus on combating what he calls the climate crisis during his four years in the Oval Office – which includes reversing some of former President Donald Trump’s actions.

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Biden’s administration announced its intent to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization on Wednesday, both of which President Donald Trump had withdrawn from during his tenure.

Biden also revoked a key cross-border permit, effectively halting construction on the roughly 1,200 mile-long Keystone XL pipeline project, which had been rejected by President Barack Obama in 2015.