Obama Administration takes historic action on climate change

President Obama has taken historic action on climate change. The Clean Power Plan will cut carbon pollution from the power sector by 870 million tonnes, announced the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The Obama Administration has announced its final Clean Power Plan, which will cut carbon pollution from the power sector by 870 million tonnes, or 32 per cent below 2005 levels, in 2030.

Power plants are the largest drivers of climate change in the United States, accounting for around one third of all carbon pollution emissions. However, there have previously been no national limits on such pollution.

The Clean Power Plan will accelerate the transition to a clean energy future, which is happening even faster than expected, explained the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

By 2030, the plan will cut carbon pollution from the power sector by nearly a third and additional reductions will come from pollutants that can create dangerous soot and smog, translating to significant health benefits for Americans.

Meanwhile, emissions of sulphur dioxide from power plants will be 90 per cent lower and emissions of nitrogen oxides will be 72 per cent lower, compared to 2005 levels. This could lead to a reduction in asthma attacks by 90,000.

“We’re proud to finalize our historic Clean Power Plan. It will give our kids and grandkids the cleaner, safer future they deserve. The United States is leading by example today, showing the world that climate action is an incredible economic opportunity to build a stronger foundation for growth,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

The EPA’s plan reflects unprecedented public input, including more than 4.3 million public comments on the proposal, and hundreds of meetings with stakeholders.

It works by building on strategies states and businesses are already using. Today, the United States uses three times more wind and 20 times more solar energy than it did in 2009, and the solar industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy.

Photo credit: Tommy Clark/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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