Obama Speech Focuses on Clean Energy

US President Barack Obama has delivered his initial State of the Union speech to Congress and, within this, the issue of climate change featured significantly. The emphasis was on clean energy and – within this field, he said – it must be the US that sets the global trend.

His speech took place in front of representatives of both the Senate and the House of Representatives – the two elements that make up Congress. In 2009, it was the House which gave its approval to new, era-defining climate legislation, whereas the Senate is yet to approve a comparable scheme. President Obama yesterday pressed the Senate to fast-track climate change strategies, stating: “...incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future.”

Clean Energy: Obama

Obama added: “The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation.”

Emissions trading – alternatively known as cap and trade – is a system through which companies are incentivised in exchange for taking steps to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions. In June 2009, the House approved ACES – the American Clean Energy and Security Act – under which terms a cap and trade system will be established, placing a ceiling on the maximum permissible level of national greenhouse gas emissions.

Clean Nuclear Energy

No direct mention of cap and trade was made within Obama’s speech, but extensive focus was placed on clean, nuclear energy. “We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities - and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient, which support clean energy jobs”, he said. Further on in the speech, he picked up the same theme again. “We need more production, more efficiency, more incentives”, he stressed. “And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.

“It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.”

Clean Energy Technologies

It was particularly important for the US to drive forward on developing new clean energy technologies, Obama added, since otherwise there might be a risk of other countries – possibly India and China – taking the lead instead.

A number of analyses of the climate change aspects of Obama’s speech – which covered a lot of other themes besides – have already emerged. “The underlying point is that he certainly did not push for cap and trade”, one analyst - Eurasia Group’s Will Pearson, said.

Obama’s speech took place a little over one month after the conclusion to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, which ended without a solid agreement having been established. What was agreed, though, was that individual nations would have a defined time period in which to submit their own, national climate change strategies. At the conference, the US pledged a 17 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction (compared to 2005) over the coming decade.

See also:

What Has Obama Promised for the Environment?