Such a gap "is unlikely to be bridged by executive action or state policy alone,'' Jenkins said in an email. The Princeton model estimates that the United States will fall 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent short of Biden's 2030 climate commitment without the Build Back Better law.
As spending bill stalls, Biden climate goals remain elusive | Technology
Carbon dioxide equivalent is a standard measurement for the range of so-called greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, that are generated from the burning of coal and petroleum and from other industrial uses and agriculture, and trap heat in the atmosphere.
Still, Jenkins remains optimistic about U.S. climate action.
“I do not accept the premise that the Build Back Better package is dead,'' he wrote, adding that he thinks “there is still a very good chance that Congress passes the climate provisions and some combination of social policies'' being pushed by Democrats.
“The consequences of failure are untenable, and the climate clock only moves in one direction,'' Jenkins said.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said she's confident Biden and his administration will make good use of their current regulatory authority, as well as billions of dollars in new spending in the bipartisan infrastructure law. But on their own, those tools are not enough to meet Biden's climate goals, she said. Rules imposed by one administration can be undone by the next, as Biden and former President Donald Trump have both demonstrated repeatedly.
Gloss