What Has Obama Promised for the Environment?

February 17th marked the completion of US President Barack Obama’s first month in power, and his pre-presidential pledges focused on many issues, including the environment. Much coverage has been given to the need for Obama to put his promises in place, but what exactly has he promised?

Below, Enviro-News presents a summary of the main features of the US President’s Environmental policy:

Firstly, hybrid cars. The aim here is to have one million hybrid cars in use in the US within seven years, and investment will be made in hi-tech vehicle technology employing advanced lightweight material. A linked desire is the establishment of a programme through which environmentally beneficial technologies like advanced cars are exported outside the US.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

President Obama intends to establish a National LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard) in order to achieve a 10 per cent fuel carbon reduction within the next 11 years. By 2030 – 10 years further down the line – 60 billion gallons of hi-tech biofuel are to have entered the domestic fuel market.

The energy efficiency of existing federal buildings is to be improved, while new structures will be built to be energy-efficient from the outset.

Across the US, the wider aim is to achieve overall carbon neutrality within the construction industry by 2030 – a goal that financial bonuses for rapid-acting states are intended to incentivise.

Through collaboration, the US Energy Department will create industrial sites implementing atmospheric CO2 removal technology (through the process of sequestration).

Overall, Obama wants US greenhouse gas emissions to have been cut down by 80 per cent by 2050.

Electricity from Renewable Energy

The President wants to create an environment where renewable energy sources are drawn upon to provide 10 per cent of electricity by 2012, increasing to 25 per cent by 2025. Within US government, by 2020, he wants this situation to be true for a minimum 30 per cent of the electricity used there

Agriculture and Environment

President Obama will aid farmers in complying with US organic certification standards by boosting funding into the National Organic Certification Cost-Chare Program. He will also emphasis the benefits of buying fresh, local produce to the US public at large.

G8, or the Group of 8, is currently comprised of the US, the UK, Canada, France, Russia, Japan, Germany and Italy. Within the global arena, Obama intends to establish an Energy Forum involving these eight countries along with Mexico, China, India and Brazil. The purpose of this Global Energy Forum will, ultimately, be to collaborate with the UN in discussing the worldwide situation in respect of national obligations to the Kyoto Protocol.

Enviro-News has produced this News Item as a framework for its future coverage on President Obama and his implementation of the environmental measures outlined above, which we will write on as soon as relevant details emerge.